A meeting between Police Commissioner Peter Marshall and Tuhoe leaders is being hailed as providing an opportunity to talk about the future rather than the past.

Police face mounting pressure to apologise over so-called terror raids following the announcement the "Urewera Four" will not be retried over accusations of belonging to a criminal group which organised military-style training camps.

A crown application for a stay of proceedings was granted in the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday.

Tuhoe spokesman, Tamati Kruger, says a meeting in Rotorua on Wednesday had been a good initial step towards the future for police and Tuhoe tribe relations.

Details of the conversation remain private.

Specific issues relating to the police raids or the court case were not on the agenda, a joint statement from Mr Marshall and Mr Kruger said.

Both parties said they looked forward to meeting again.

A jury could not reach a decision in March on whether Tame Iti, Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara, Urs Signer and Emily Bailey were guilty of the criminal group charge following their trial.

However, all four were found guilty of multiple charges of unlawful possession of a firearm.

They will be sentenced on those charges on May 24.

The "Urewera Four" were part of a group of 18 initially charged by police in 2007 following raids throughout the country.

About 300 police were involved in early morning raids on the Tuhoe community in the Urewera Ranges.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia says it's time police said sorry to innocent Tuhoe people caught up in the raids.

However, Prime Minister John Key does not believe an apology is necessary.

"I think you have to take a step back in fairness to the police and say that they genuinely believed that they were dealing with a situation where there was suspected serious terrorist activity," he said.