Carwyn's primary research interests relate to the Treaty of Waitangi and indigenous legal traditions.  Before joining the faculty in 2006, Carwyn worked in a number of different roles at the Waitangi Tribunal, Māori Land Court, and the Office of Treaty Settlements.

He is the author of New Treaty, New Tradition – Reconciling New Zealand and Maori Law (UBC Press, May 2016) He is the Co-Editor of the Māori Law Review and maintains a blog, Ahi-kā-roa, on legal issues affecting Māori and other indigenous peoples.

Carwyn’s research is currently focused on a major project exploring the legal traditions of Ngati Kahungunu (see http://maorilaw.org/ ). He is also a member of a team of authors working on developing a comprehensive text addressing Maori dimensions of New Zealand law.