The arrival of Europeans in Aotearoa brought about an inevitable clash between the laws and values of Maori societies and those of the newcomers.

Like a subduction zone between two tectonic plates, each pressing against the other, this clash led to ruptures, often with long-term consequences. This ground-breaking book examines a series of notable criminal trials in order to understand how the indiscriminate application of English criminal law in New Zealand during the 19th century shaped the landscape of contemporary society.

These trials partially explain why Maori continue to be adversely affected by this country's criminal justice system, and also expose the punitive way in which English criminal law was applied during the pre-colonial and colonial eras - a trait that is never far from the surface of modern New Zealand society.