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.
5 June 2026
Case information summary (as at 5 June 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 5 June 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 124 KB)
All years
B Order prohibiting search of the files for this application without leave of a Judge of this Court.
11 April 2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
07 April 2025
Criminal Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted ([2024] NZCA 626).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against sentence.
04 April 2025
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A The appeal is allowed.
B The proceeding is remitted to the District Court for resentencing.
C The applications to adduce further evidence and for name suppression are dismissed.
D Bail is granted on the terms currently applicable, as amended by this Court’s minute of 10 March 2026. Any application for variation to bail shall be addressed by the District Court.
- Hearing date 22 July 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 480 KB)
- MR [2026] NZSC 19 (PDF, 288 KB)
B There is no order as to costs.
9 May 2025
B There is no order as to costs.
1 April 2025
B The applicants must pay the first and second respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
26 May 2025
B The applicants must pay the first and second respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
26 May 2025
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring appeal
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 May 2025
Civil Appeal
A Subject to C, the applications for leave to appeal are granted (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa v Bay of Plenty Regional Council [2022] NZCA 598).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeals.
C The application for leave to appeal on costs is dismissed (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa v Bay of Plenty Regional Council [2022] NZCA 598).
D An extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa v Bay of Plenty Regional Council [2020] NZHC 3388).
E The application for leave to appeal is granted (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa v Bay of Plenty Regional Council [2020] NZHC 3388).
F The approved question is whether the High Court erred in upholding the Environment Court’s decision in relation to the negative tikanga effects.
17 April 2023
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A Sustainable Otakiri Inc’s appeal is dismissed.
B Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa’s appeal is dismissed.
C Costs are reserved.
12 November 2025
- Hearing date 22 -24 Nov 2023 Appellant submissions (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Hearing date 22 - 24 Nov 2023 First Respondent subsmissions (PDF, 365 KB)
- Hearing date 22 - 24 Nov 2023 Second Respondent submisisons (PDF, 498 KB)
- Hearing date 22 Nov - 24 Nov 2023 Joint Chronology (PDF, 161 KB)
- Hearing date 22 -24 November 2023 transcript (PDF, 1.6 MB)
- Hearing date 22 Nov_24 Nov 2023 (PDF, 481 KB)
- MR [2025] NZSC 158 (PDF, 288 KB)
- SC 1/2023 and SC 2/2023 (Recorded, 24 November 2023)
- SC 1/2023 and SC2/2023 (Recorded, 23 November 2023)
- SC 1/2023 and SC2/2023 (Recorded, 22 November 2023)
Civil Appeal
A Subject to C, the applications for leave to appeal are granted (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa v Bay of Plenty Regional Council [2022] NZCA 598).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeals.
C The application for leave to appeal on costs is dismissed (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa v Bay of Plenty Regional Council [2022] NZCA 598).
D An extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa v Bay of Plenty Regional Council [2020] NZHC 3388).
E The application for leave to appeal is granted (Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa v Bay of Plenty Regional Council [2020] NZHC 3388).
F The approved question is whether the High Court erred in upholding the Environment Court’s decision in relation to the negative tikanga effects.
17 April 2023
_______________________________
A Sustainable Otakiri Inc’s appeal is dismissed.
B Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa’s appeal is dismissed.
C Costs are reserved.
12 November 2025
- Hearing date 22-24 Nov 2023 Appellant submissions (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Hearing 22 - 24 Nov 2023 Appellant Roadmap (PDF, 111 KB)
- Hearing date 22-24 Nov 2023 First Respondent Submissions (PDF, 637 KB)
- Hearing 22 - 24 Nov 2023 First Respondent Outline (PDF, 165 KB)
- Hearing date 22-24 Nov 2023 Second Respondent Submissions (PDF, 515 KB)
- Hearing date 22-24 Nov 2023 Joint Chronology (PDF, 161 KB)
- Hearing date 22 Nov_24 Nov 2023 (PDF, 481 KB)
- MR [2025] NZSC 158 (PDF, 288 KB)
- SC 1/2023 and SC 2/2023 (Recorded, 24 November 2023)
- SC 1/2023 and SC2/2023 (Recorded, 23 November 2023)
- SC 1/2023 and SC2/2023 (Recorded, 22 November 2023)