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)
2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
6 October 2025
Civil Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted (Chief Executive of Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment v Hairland Holdings Ltd [2025] NZCA 219).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal on the basis that the Employment Relations Authority does not have jurisdiction to hear an application, brought by a purported employer against the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Labour Inspector and/or its workers, for a bare declaration that its workers are not employees under s 6(1) of the Employment Relations Act 2000.
1 October 2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
8 September 2025
_________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 8 September 2025 (Bridge v The Crown [2025] NZSC 113) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
2 October 2025
__________________________________
A The second application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 8 September 2025 (Bridge v The Crown [2025] NZSC 113) is dismissed.
B The Registrar is directed not to accept for filing any further recall applications in relation to this matter.
C There is no order as to costs.
12 November 2025
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 November 2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicants in the two proposed appeals must pay the first to third respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is abandoned.
B A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to cross-appeal is abandoned.
6 August 2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
10 November 2025
Criminal 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 IS PERMITTED.
ORDER PROHIBITING PUBLICATION OF THE JUDGMENT 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.
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.
ORDER PROHIBITING PUBLICATION OF THE JUDGMENT 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.