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
Criminal Appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Repia v R [2024] NZCA 677).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal on the basis that Mr Repia’s reasonable belief in consent was excluded from inquiry in the involvement hearing under s 10 of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003.
27 March 2025
- Hearing date 14 August 2025 Respondent's submissions (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Hearing date 14 August 2025 Appellant submissions (PDF, 524 KB)
- Hearing date 14 August 2025 Transcript (PDF, 389 KB)
- Hearing date 14 August 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 448 KB)
- SC 12/2025 Tyson Wade Francis Repia v The King (Recorded, 14 August 2025)
Criminal Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted (Commissioner of Police v Apanui [2024] NZCA 307).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
18 July 2025
- Hearing date 11 November 2025 Appellant's submissions (PDF, 252 KB)
- Hearing date 11 November 2025 Respondent's submissions (PDF, 480 KB)
- Hearing date 11 November 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 454 KB)
- SC 18/2025 Apanui v Commissioner of Police (Recorded, 11 November 2025)
Criminal Appeal
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B Leave to appeal is granted in part (Iongi v R [2024] NZCA 522).
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against conviction.
D The application for leave to appeal is otherwise dismissed.
03 July 2025
- Hearing date 22 October 2025 Appellant's submissions (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2025 Respondent's submissions (PDF, 1017 KB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2025 Appellant's outline (PDF, 162 KB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2025 Transcript (PDF, 681 KB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 463 KB)
Criminal Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted (Commonwealth of Australia v BW [2025] NZCA 8).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and find that the High Court erred in law when it concluded it would be oppressive to extradite BW to Australia.
16 June 2025
- Hearing date 4 November 2025 Appellant submissions (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Hearing date 4 November 2025 Respondent submissions (PDF, 1.3 MB)
- Hearing date 4 November 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 453 KB)
- SC 22/2025 BW v Commonwealth of Australia (Recorded, 4 November 2025)
ORDER PROHIBITING PUBLICATION OF THE JUDGMENT AND ANY PART OF THE PROCEEDINGS (EXCEPT THE RESULT AS SET OUT IN PARAGRAPH [32]) 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.
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A Leave to appeal is revoked (M (SC 29/2025) v R [2025] NZSC 86).
B The appeal hearing scheduled for 13 November 2025 is vacated.
C We make an interim order continuing suppression of the name, address, occupation and identifying particulars of the appellant on the terms and for the period specified below a [5].
10 November 2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A Leave to appeal and cross-appeal is granted in part (Peka (as personal representative of the Estate of Hawkins) v Te Hei [2025] NZCA 32, [2025] 2 NZLR 353).
B The approved questions are:
(a) whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and dismiss the cross-appeal; and
(b) whether the Court of Appeal was correct to refer Mrs Hawkins’ claim back to the Victims’ Special Claims Tribunal for reconsideration in light of its judgment.
C The application for leave to cross-appeal the issue of costs in the High Court is dismissed.
25 August 2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Criminal Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted (C (CA749/2023) v R [2025] NZCA 47).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
12 August 2025