Paerau is not only a senior lecturer in Te Tumu, he is also a Barrister. He has held a practising certificate for nearly twenty years and his expertise is in Māori land law, trusts, wills, probate and administration. He is an equity lawyer. He has appeared in the Māori Land Court and Māori Appellate Court from time to time and his legal mentor was the late Robin Corcoran who practiced in the Māori Land Court in Christchurch for many decades. Paerau is the principal legal adviser to the lawyers in the Ngāi Tahu Maori Law Centre in Dunedin.
Paerau’s principal iwi is Ngāti Awa. However he has very close whakapapa ties to Te Arawa (Tuhourangi and Ngāti Rangitihi), Ngāti Tūwharetoa of Kawerau and Taupo, Ngāti Maniapoto and Whakatōhea and Whānau-a-Apanui. He also has links to Taitokerau iwi, Tūhoe and Ngāti Porou.
Paerau's academic research interests focuses on Māori, law and the Treaty of Waitangi and also whānau, hapū and iwi dynamics as well as Māori politics.
Mize, S., & Warbrick, P. (2017). Dealing with challenges that arise when lawyer and client are from different cultures. New Zealand Family Law Journal, 9, 56-66.
Warbrick, P. (2016). [Review of the book: Outcasts of the gods: The struggle over slavery in Māori New Zealand]. Journal of the Polynesian Society, 125(2), 189-191. [Book Review].
Warbrick, P. (2016, February). Echoes of the past: The painful side of Māori women's experience of world war. Verbal presentation at the Making Women Visible Conference: A Conference in Honour of Barbara Brookes, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Warbrick, W. P. (2004). Exhibit A: Whakapapa and list of heirs for Oke Pukeroa. Māori Land Court of New Zealand. Christchurch, New Zealand: Māori Land Court. 35p.
Warbrick, W. P. (2004). Exhibit A: Whakapapa and heirs to Marewa Te Kahupake or Te Ruatareti (died June 10. 1886). Māori Land Court of New Zealand. Christchurch, New Zealand: Māori Land Court. 8p.
Warbrick, W. P. (2004). Exhibit A: Whakapapa and heirs to Rangiheuea (died circa 1880). Māori Land Court of New Zealand. Christchurch, New Zealand: Māori Land Court. 22p.
Warbrick, W. P. (2003). Exhibit A: Whakapapa and list of heirs for Te Rangitukehu (died June 27, 1887). Christchurch, New Zealand: Māori Land Court of New Zealand. 15p.
Warbrick, W. P. (2002). Report by W. Paerau Warbrick for the identification of the shareholders Hana Rewite and Henare Rewite. Christchurch, New Zealand: Māori Land Court of New Zealand. 8p.
Warbrick, W. P. (2002). Whakapapa for the identification of the shareholders Hana Rewite and Henare Rewite. Christchurch, New Zealand: Māori Land Court of New Zealand. 6p.
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2011). Written expert statement for the defence on the operation of tamaiti whāngai and moko in Māori society (29 November 2011) for the Magistrates Court in Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia. In the matter of R (Commonwealth) v Matthew Alexander Waikato. Magistrates Court, Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia. [Government Submission].
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2011). Written submissions against the Crown’s claim that the islands known as Rūrima is Crown land for the Māori Land Court before Judge Harvey. In the matter of Rūrima Islands (A20070003741). Māori Land Court Registry, Rotorua, New Zealand, File A20070003741. [Government Submission].
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2011). Written submissions relating to judicial conflict of interest, judicial disclosure and judicial recusal of Judge Layne Harvey in regard to the Māori land Court hearing relating to the islands known as Rūrima. In the matter of Rūrima Islands (A20070003741). Māori Land Court Registry, Rotorua, New Zealand, File A20070003741. [Government Submission].
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2011). Written memorandum and submissions for the Māori Students at the University of Otago in regard to breach of their Treaty of Waitangi rights in the Waitangi Tribunal before Chief Judge Isaac, Judge Milroy and Judge Spencer. In the matter of prejudicial effects of the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Act 2011 (Wai 2343). Waitangi Tribunal, Wellington, New Zealand, File Wai 2343. [Government Submission].
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2010). Written memorandum for the Ngai Tahu Māori Law Centre on the operation of section 116 of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 for the Māori Land Court before Judge Coxhead. In the matter of succession to William James Wybrow (A20070006221), Māori Land Court Registry, Christchurch, New Zealand, File A20070006221, 63p. [Government Submission].
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2010). Written and oral submissions regarding the jurisdiction of the Chief Judge of the Māori Land Court to hear applications and grant remedies. In the matter of Hana Rewiti and Henare Rewiti (A20010005699). Māori Land Court Registry, Christchurch, New Zealand, Files A20010005699 & CJ 2002/35. [Government Submission].
Warbrick, P. (2010, September). The Māori Land Court in the 1960s and 1970s. University of Otago Te Tumu, School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies Seminar, Dunedin, New Zealand. [Department Seminar].
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2010). Written submission in regard to the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill (November 2010) before the Māori Affairs Select Committee. New Zealand House of Representatives, Wellington, New Zealand. [Government Submission].
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2009). Written and oral submissions and reports in the Māori Land Court hearings before Judge Savage and Judge Harvey. In the matter of Rangitaiki 60C1 Trust and Matahina A1D1 trust: Removal of Trustees (A20090001332). In the matter of Rangitaiki Valley Whenua Trust Lands: Constitute an ahu whenua trust (A20090018144). Māori Land Court Registry, Rotorua, New Zealand, Files A20090001332 & A20090018144. [Government Submission].
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2008). Written memorandum for the Ngāi Tahu Māori Law Centre on evidence and the standard of proof in Chief Judge Applications before the Māori Appellate Court under section 45 of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993. In the matter of Waihao 903 Section IX Block, Henare Rakiihia Tau v Nga Whanau o Morven & Glenavy, 2010, Maori Appellate Court Minute Book 168. Māori Land Court Registry, Christchurch, New Zealand, File A20070011156. [Government Submission].
Paerau Warbrick, W. (2006). Written and oral submissions in the Māori Land Court hearings regarding tamaiti whāngai under section 115 of Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 before Deputy Chief Judge Wilson Isaac. In the matter of succession to James Henry Newton (A19990005454). In the matter of succession to Charles Newton II (A19990005455). In the matter of succession to Robert Hart (A19990005458). Māori Land Court Registry, Christchurch, New Zealand, Files A19990005454, A19990005455, A19990005458. [Government Submission].
Warbick, P. (2005). Oral and written submissions to the Māori Land Court for determining heirs to Riini Whakataka, Te Maui Taiawatea, Hiria Te Taiawatea and Pineaha Takamoana. Dunedin, New Zealand: Te Tumu, University of Otago. [Submission to the Maori Land Court].
Warbrick, W. P. (2004). Submissions in the Māori Land Court for succession to Poihaere Paihau or Poihaere Te Wharehiraka or Ngakawhena Paihau/Paikau or Poihaere Ngawai. Christchurch, New Zealand: Māori Land Court of New Zealand. [Oral and Written Submissions].
Warbrick, W. P. (2002). Submissions in the Māori Land Court for correcting a succession to Henare Te Maire. Christchurch, New Zealand: Māori Land Court of New Zealand. [Oral and Written Submissions].
Warbrick, W. P. (2001). Submissions in the Māori Land Court for correcting a succession to Violet Victoria Seigle. Christchurch, New Zealand: Māori Land Court of New Zealand. [Oral and Written Submissions].
Warbrick, W. P. (2003). List of judges of the Native Land Court and Māori Land Court 1864-2003: He pepa o Ngā ingoa o ngā tiati o ngā kooti whenua Maori 1864-2003. 7p.
Warbrick, P. (2015). Minute books: An integral part of the Māori Land Court. In A. Cooper, L. Paterson & A. Wanhalla (Eds.), The lives of colonial objects. (pp. 129-133). Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago University Press.
Warbrick, P. (2012). 'O ratou whenua': Land and estate settlements. In N. R. Wheen & J. Hayward (Eds.), Treaty of Waitangi settlements. (pp. 92-101). Wellington, New Zealand: Bridget Williams Books.
Warbrick, W. P. (2009). Treaty of Waitangi. In X. Zhao & X. Qiao (Eds.), New Zealand: Its history, people and culture. (pp. 69-97). Shanghai, China: Fudan University Press.
Warbrick, P. (2014, May). Women and the Maori Land Court. Verbal presentation at the Sixteenth Berkshire Conference on the History of Women: Histories on the Edge, Toronto, Canada.
Warbrick, P. (2013, November). The Māori incorporations of the South Island: A commentary on the use of micro-history. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Historical Association Biennial Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Warbrick, P. (2013, March). Of the people, by the people, for the people. He tangata, he tangata, he tangata: Maori voters and the constitution. Verbal presentation at the Colonial Origins of New Zealand Politics and Government Conference, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Warbrick-Anderson, P. (2013, February). Minute books of the Maori Land Court. Verbal presentation at the Inaugural Conference of the Centre for Research on Colonial Culture, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Warbrick, P. (2009, June). Maori relations with pakeha and the law, 1900-1960. Verbal presentation at the Interracial Intimacies: New Zealand Histories Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Warbrick, P. (2007, December). The value of autobiography in academia: Maori women and post-world-war-II American presidents. Verbal presentation at the Self-Narratives 'Research Conversation' Day, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Warbrick, W. P. (2010). Māori Land Court 1960-1980: An autoethnographic and social commentary (PhD). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. 419p.
Warbrick, W. P. (1998). Labour′s Bill of Rights: The Labour Governmnet′s attempt at a bill of rights in the 1980s (Master of Arts). University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. 137p.