Annual statistics

Statistics are provided for 31 December year-ends.

The Court of Appeal is New Zealand’s principal intermediate appellate court. It is also the final appellate court for a number of matters. The Court deals with civil and criminal appeals from matters heard in the High Court and appeals from criminal jury trials in the District Court. Matters appealed to the High Court from the District Court and certain tribunals can be taken to the Court of Appeal with leave, if a second appeal is warranted. The Court hears appeals from the Māori Appellate Court, and may also grant leave to hear appeals on questions of law from the Employment Court. The Court of Appeal is the final court for Accident Compensation appeals.

Workload statistics - most recent

Total Workload – for the 12 months ending 31 December 2025

Court workload

The Court delivered 697 judgments in 2025, compared to 701 in 2024.

 

Total new business

The Court’s workload increased in 2025, with a total of 863 appeals and 453 applications filed. 

 

Appeals

A total of 658 appeals were disposed of an increase of 33 compared to the previous year.

As at 31 December 2025, there were 696 appeals on hand, a decrease of 1 compared to the same time last year.

 

Applications

Application disposals increased by 47 to 466.

As at 31 December 2025, there were 221 applications on hand, an increase of 1 compared to the same time last year.

Examples of the types of applications dealt with by the Court include:

  • leave to appeal, bail;
  • name suppression;
  • fresh evidence (civil); 
  • disclosure (criminal); and
  • jurisdictional issues.

 

Criminal Jurisdiction

Criminal appeals

A total of 429 criminal appeals were filed in 2025, a decrease of 7 compared to the previous year.

Criminal appeal disposals increased by 28 to 409.

As at 31 December 2025, there were 423 criminal appeals on hand, an increase of 20 compared to the previous year.

 

Criminal applications

The number of new criminal applications filed in the year 2025 decreased by 70 to 199 applications.

The number of criminal applications disposed of increased by 42 to 240.

As at 31 December 2025, the number of criminal applications on hand increased by 41 to 85 applications.

 

Civil Jurisdiction

Civil appeals

The number of new civil appeals filed in the year 2025 decreased by 21 to 246 new appeals. 

The number of civil appeals disposed of increased by 5 to 249.

As at 31 December 2025, there were 273 civil appeals on hand, a decrease of 3 compared to the same time last year.

 

Civil applications

The number of new civil applications filed in the year 2025 decreased by 21 to 254 applications. 

The number of civil applications disposed of increased by 5 to 226 compared to the same time last year.

As at 31 December 2025, the number of civil applications on hand increased by 28 to 136 applications. 

 

Definitions

New Business                                                                                                                           
New business includes all appeals filed in the Court of Appeal.

Disposals
The sum of appeals disposed, where disposal was counted at the delivery of final judgment or earlier final outcome. 

Total Active Cases                                                                                                                           
Active appeals are those that are awaiting a substantive hearing or awaiting final judgment.

 

Past workload statistics

Archived