Supreme Court case information

Listed below are the substantive Supreme Court cases for the year along with appeals still to be determined or cases awaiting hearing. 

Information giving an overview of the case is included along with media releases and links to judgments being appealed when available.

All 2024 - 2014 Supreme Court cases dismissed or deemed to be dismissed where a notice of abandonment was received can be found here.

Transcripts for cases heard before the Supreme Court are included provided they are not suppressed. Transcripts from pre-trial hearings are not published until the final disposition of trial. These are unedited transcripts and they are not a formal record of the Court’s proceedings. The Ministry of Justice does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any material and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use.

8 May 2026

Case information summary (as at 8 May 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 8 May 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 127 KB) 

All years

Case name
Liyun Chen v Tawa Trade Finance Limited and LC1521319 Development Co Limited
Case number
SC 1/2026
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applications to file reply submissions are dismissed.
C The applications for stay of execution are dismissed.
D The application to admit new evidence is dismissed.
E The first applicant must pay each respondent costs of $2,500.
1 May 2026
______________________________________________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 1 May 2026 (Chen v Goodmore Investments (New Zealand) Ltd [2026] NZSC 40) is dismissed.
8 May 2026

Case name
Liyun Chen and Liyun Chen as trustee of the Royall Family Trust v Goodmore Investments (New Zealand) Limited, LC1521319 Development Co Limited and RHC Property Investment Limited
Case number
SC 2/2026
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applications to file reply submissions are dismissed.
C The applications for stay of execution are dismissed.
D The application to admit new evidence is dismissed.
E The first applicant must pay each respondent costs of $2,500.
1 May 2026
______________________________________________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 1 May 2026 (Chen v Goodmore Investments (New Zealand) Ltd [2026] NZSC 40) is dismissed.
8 May 2026

Case name
Ethan Webster v The King
Case number
SC 3/2026
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Webster v R [2025] NZCA 679).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
16 April 2026

Date of hearing
16 July 2026
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Ellen France, Williams, Kós and Cooke JJ
Case name
Sanctuary Community Organic Garden Mahi Whenua Incorporated v Attorney-General
Case number
SC 4/2026
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
28 April 2026

Case name
Jaxon Dixon v The King
Case number
SC 5/2026
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Vortac New Zealand Limited v The King
Case number
SC 6/2026
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

District Court decision
Case name
A v The King
Case number
SC 7/2026
Summary

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.

Result

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.

District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Russell Thomas Hoban v Attorney-General
Case number
SC 8/2026
Summary

Civil Appeal 

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Hoban v Attorney-General [2025] NZCA 644).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
5 May 2026

Date of hearing
07 October 2026 - 08 October 2026
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Case name
Lee Edri v R
Case number
SC 9/2026
Summary

Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal

District Court decision
Case name
Corey Robert Murfitt v The King
Case number
SC 10/2026
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
1 May 2026

Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed