Borrin Foundation – Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Postgraduate Scholarship for Kelly Mitchell
Borrin Foundation - Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga postgraduate scholarship
About Kelly
Kelly Mitchell (Ngaati Maahanga) is an Assistant Lecturer in Law at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington and an emerging scholar in Māori jurisprudence and constitutional law. Kelly recently obtained a Master of Laws in which she consolidated a Māori legal theory grounded in tikanga Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and outlined how that theory can illuminate the constitutional relationship between tikanga Māori and the Crown’s legal system. Alongside her research, Kelly lectures on the structure of New Zealand’s legal system and tikanga Māori in the common law. She also contributes to the ongoing development of tikanga Māori within the core LLB curriculum. Her work sits at the intersection of legal theory, Indigenous jurisprudence, and constitutional transformation, and reflects a commitment to strengthening Māori-led scholarship within legal academia.
What Kelly is studying
Kelly will use this award towards obtaining a PhD at the University of Victoria in British Colombia, Canada. Her proposed doctoral research aims extend her Masters’ work by examining how Māori legal theory can inform the constitutional role of the judiciary within a Tiriti-consistent legal landscape. The project will engage comparatively with Indigenous legal scholarship emerging from Canada, particularly through the intellectual community surrounding the National Centre for Indigenous Laws and the JD/JID programme.
Scholarship amount
$64,702
“This opportunity is deeply meaningful to me, particularly following the recent passing of my mother, Shyrelle Mitchell (Ngāti Māhanga). My mum undertook her legal study while I was growing up, and her efforts as a lawyer inspired me to pursue my initial degree. I hope to honour her legacy through work advancing Māori legal scholarship.”