Last year the High Court found the selection process was flawed and ordered the selection body for the board to stand Mr Kaka aside, before holding a new election.
Today the selection body, in action led by Tame Te Rangi, took the case to the Court of Appeal in Wellington.
Mr Te Rangi's lawyer Paul Majurey argued the selection process, which took place in August 2013, was adequate.
At a meeting on August 18 that year, the 17 selectors present had their lunch break to review seven copies of an 108-page dossier about the eight candidates put forward to represent urban Maori.
The chair of the selection board also decided it wasn't necessary for the merits of each candidate to be discussed publicly, the Court of Appeal heard.
Mr Majurey said much of the information in the dossier was in fact emailed out two days before the meeting and the decision-making process was robust and met necessary requirements.
"Significantly, not one member of the selection body at the time complained," he said.
"One would have expected that if they felt rushed they would have said something about it."
Mr Majurey said steps were taken to notify the public and seeks people's views on the candidates through the media.
"Despite the effort, unfortunately there wasn't a single response."
Justice Tony Randerson, QC, said it didn't seem as if a "formal or thorough" process was followed, but Mr Majurey disagreed and said the information the selectors were given two days before their meeting was a "fulsome summary".
Justice Randerson also mused that if selection process was invalid, Mr Tamihere might be set aside too.
Mr Jackson's lawyer Te Kani Williams argued against that and said the selectors only had 30 minutes to read the 108 pages of information.
The Court of Appeal judges reserved their decision.
