He became an assessor to the Native Land Court.

Most of these were chiefs visiting the Native Land Court.

The Land Courts were empowered to sell 1,500 bankrupt estates to tenants.

During sessions of the Land Court, when called as evidence, they were not brought in the Court's main hall, but only read from a special balcony.

Since 1982, the Land Court has produced its own volumes of reported decisions each year.

The period of rent set by the Land Court is reduced to three years.

Gilfedder was also a judge of the Native Land Court from 1907 to 1933 when he retired.

In 1878 he was appointed as a judge of the Native Land Court but retired two years later due to ill health.

Before 1978, all trial courts except the Land Court were county or local courts funded through the counties.

In 1911, he resigned to take up a position as President of the Land Court, which he maintained until 1919.