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.
22 May 2026
Case information summary (as at 22 May 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 90 KB)
Case information summary (as at 22 May 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 126 KB)
All years
B There is no order as to costs.
28 February 2025
16 April 2025
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
21 February 2025
Criminal Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted (R v Bailey [2024] NZCA 552).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
5 March 2025
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A The appeal is allowed.
B The application under s 147 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 is remitted to the District Court for rehearing.
30 March 2026
- Hearing date 16 July 2025 Appellant Submissions (PDF, 987 KB)
- Hearing date 16 July 2025 Respondent submissions (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Hearing date 16 July 2025 Transcript (PDF, 435 KB)
- Hearing date 16 July 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 452 KB)
- MR [2026] NZSC 20 (PDF, 271 KB)
23 December 2024
11 April 2025
Civil Appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Pascoe v Minister for Land Information [2024] NZCA 557).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to find that negotiations prior to the compulsory acquisition of land for essential works, under s 18 of the Public Works Act 1981, may be undertaken by an accredited contractor rather than by the Respondent personally (or an official of Toitū Te Whenua | Land Information New Zealand with delegated authority by the Respondent).
C Counsel to assist the Court will be appointed by the Registrar.
19 May 2025
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A The application of counsel assisting the Court for leave to adduce further evidence is granted.
B The Court answers the question for which leave was granted in the following way: the negotiations function under s 18(1)(d) of the Public Works Act 1981 may be performed by an accredited contractor, rather than the Minister personally or the Minister’s delegate within Toitū Te Whenua | Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), provided the accredited contractor holds delegated authority to perform that function.
C The Court finds that LINZ officials delegated the negotiations function outside the Public Service in this case but did not follow the necessary statutory processes. The appellants did not refuse to negotiate, for purposes of s 18(2), by refusing to deal with the accredited contractor.
D The appeal is allowed accordingly. The proceeding is remitted to the High Court to determine what relief, if any, is appropriate.
E The respondent must pay the appellants one set of costs of $3,000 plus usual disbursements.
18 December 2025
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Appellant's reply submissions (PDF, 468 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Respondent submissions (PDF, 1.6 MB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Counsel to assist the Court submissions (PDF, 806 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Appellant's oral outline (PDF, 330 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 oral outline for respondent (PDF, 238 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 oral outline for counsel to assist (PDF, 199 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Appellant submissions (PDF, 883 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Transcript (PDF, 645 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 462 KB)
- MR [2025] NZSC 195 (PDF, 324 KB)
- SC 123/2024 Tony James Sofus Pascoe and Debbie Ann Pascoe v The Minister for Land Information (Recorded, 14 October 2025)
8 April 2025
28 March 2025