Respected Māori lawyer Moana Jackson has died after battling a long-term illness, NZ Herald understands. 

His passing comes after a record of fierce advocacy for Māori and reforming the criminal justice system and dismantling racist structures. 

Jackson (Ngāti Kahungungu, Ngāti Porou, Rongomaiwahine), was a man who navigated both worlds of te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā, bringing with him immense knowledge to overthrow the negative impacts of colonisation. 

He was also an author and lecturer who specialised in the Treaty of Waitangi and constitutional issues. 

In his earlier years, he graduated in Law and Criminology at Victoria University of Wellington, then later taught te reo Māori. 

He went on to further his studies in the United States before returning to New Zealand to conduct research for the then Justice Department report on the Māori and the criminal justice system, He Whaipaanga Hou. 

He contributed a lot of his training and work towards international indigenous issues, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

He was a judge on the International Tribunal of Indigenous Rights in Hawaii in 1993, and again in Canada in 1995. 

Jackson was recognised as a respected vocal critic for Māori issues, particularly during the time of the Government's foreshore and seabed legislation in 2004. 

He was also vocal towards the October 2007 police 'terror' raids. He resigned as patron of the Police Recruit Wing 244 due to his opposition to how the raids were conducted which he said stemmed from racism. 

Māori communities and Māori leaders across New Zealand describe Jackson's passing as a "huge loss".