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.

28 November 2025

Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 120 KB)

All years

Case name
Maureen Valerie Grant v A Labour Inspector & Southern Taxis Limited & Maureen Valerie Grant and Nathan Adams as administrators in the estate of Ronald James Grant
Case number
SC 19/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
2 March 2022
Case name
Taane Muruiwi Grant Iraia v The Queen
Case number
SC 20/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B We make an 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 is permitted.
30 March 2022
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Alan Russell Hall v The Queen
Case number
SC 21/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B Leave to appeal is granted (R v Hall [1987] 1 NZLR 616 (CA)).
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
3 May 2022
_____________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The convictions of the appellant are quashed.
C Order under s 385(2) of the Crimes Act 1961 directing that verdicts of acquittal be entered.
8 June 2022
Date of hearing
08 June 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, O'Regan, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Transcripts
Media Releases
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
C (SC 22/2022) v The Queen
Case number
SC 22/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Attorney-General v Mariya Ann Taylor and Robert Roper
Case number
SC 23/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Taylor v Roper [2020] NZCA 268 reissued 16 December 2021 and Taylor v Roper [2021] NZCA 691).
B Leave to the First Respondent to cross appeal is granted.
17 May 2022
________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed. We uphold the conclusion of the High Court Judge dismissing the claim by Ms Taylor for compensatory damages in relation to false imprisonment.
B The cross appeal is dismissed.
C Costs are reserved.
12 May 2023
________________________________________________________
A There are no costs orders in this Court.
B Costs in the Courts below are to be dealt with by those Courts.
4 July 2023
Date of hearing
05 October 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Williams and William Young JJ
Case name
PN (SC 24/2022) v NZ Police
Case number
SC 24/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
30 March 2022
Case name
Evan Kerry Stewart v Vivian Judith Fatupaito and Elizabeth Helen Keene
Case number
SC 25/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500. 3 June 2022
Case name
Attorney-General and Chief Executive of Ara Poutama Aotearoa | Department of Corrections v Mark David Chisnall
Case number
SC 26/2022
Summary

Civil Appeal

Result

A Leave to appeal and to cross-appeal is granted (Chisnall v Attorney-General [2021] NZCA 616 and Chisnall v Attorney-General [2022] NZCA 24).
B The approved questions are as follows:
(a) Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to make declarations that Part 1A of the Parole Act 2002 [extended supervision orders] and the Public Safety (Public Protection Orders) Act 2014 [public safety orders] are inconsistent with s 26(2) of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 [the Bill of Rights]; and
(b) Whether the Court of Appeal was correct not to make declarations that extended supervision orders and public safety orders are inconsistent with ss 9, 22, 23(5), 25(a), (c) and (d), and 26(1) of the Bill of Rights.
22 June 2022
__________________________________
A The appeal is allowed in part.
B The cross-appeal is dismissed.
C We seek submissions from counsel on the form of the declarations of inconsistency, as set out at [269].
D Costs are reserved.
19 December 2024
__________________________________
A We make the declarations of inconsistency set out at [18].
B The appellants must pay the respondent one set of costs of $70,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
30 September 2025

Date of hearing
03 April 2023 - 04 April 2023
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Williams and Kós JJ
Case Synopses
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
Case name
Billy Mark Matara v The Queen
Case number
SC 27/2022
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.
27 May 2022
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
S (SC 28/2022) v Youth Court Manukau and Attorney-General
Case number
SC 28/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
_____________________________________

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.
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available