Durie graduated with a
BA and an
LLB from
Victoria University of Wellington in 1964. Durie was appointed a judge in 1974 and then was the Chief Judge of the
Māori Land Court from 1980–1998, Chairman of the
Waitangi Tribunal from 1980–2004, and a
Law Commissioner. In 1998 he was appointed to the
High Court of New Zealand. He retired from the High Court in 2004, at which point he was the longest-serving member of the
New Zealand judiciary. In 2009, Durie was appointed by
Attorney-General Chris Finlayson to chair the
Ministerial taskforce on the
Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004. In 2012, Durie was elected to the
Maori Council and elected co-chair, a role he held until being appointed the sole chair of the national body in April 2016. On 27January 2025, Durie presented in person to the Select Committee considering the draft
Treaty Principles Bill. Durie opposed the bill and said that the bill ignored 50years of examination of cases that inform the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi by "well-qualified Māori and Pākehā of the Waitangi Tribunal". Moreover, if the bill became law, he believed the New Zealand government "would be the laughing stock of the western world, who understand how responsible states today seek to manage relationships with their indigenous people." ==Honours and awards==