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.

31 July 2026

Case information summary (as at 31 July 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 31 July 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 131 KB) 

All years

Case name
Latimer Holdings Ltd and John William Powell v Sea Holdings New Zealand Ltd.
Case number
SC CIV 16/2004
Summary
Civil appeal - appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal dismissing an appeal from the interlocutory decision of the High Court entering summary judgment in favour of the respondent - whether detriment suffered by the applicant was within the category of unfair detriment in s174 Companies Act. CA 214/03 15 September 2004
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed. Costs to respondent $1000 and disbursements. 24 November 2004
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
LATIMER HOLDINGS LIMITED & ANOR V SEA HOLDINGS NEW ZEALAND LIMITED SC SC CIV 16/2004 [24 November 2004] (PDF, 14 KB)
Judgment appealed from
NZLII : Latimer Holdings Ltd v Sea Holdings New Zealand Ltd [2004] NZCA 226 (15 September 2004
Case name
Calan Healthcare Properties Limited v Richard John Ord and Colleen Mary Fenton.
Case number
SC CIV 22/2004
Summary
Civil appeal - whether the lodging of an updating share transfer, which gives effect to a change of trustee, establishes that "a shareholder is intending to transfer any shares", and thus triggers rights of pre-emption under the appellant's constituion - propoer approach to interpretation of a constitution. CA31/04 CA165/04 7 October 2004
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed. Costs to Respondents of $2,500 plus disbursements to be fixed if necessary by the Registrar. 27 April 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CALAN HEALTHCARE PROPERTIES LIMITED V ORD AND FENTON SC CIV 22/2004 [27 April 2005] (PDF, 22 KB)
Judgment appealed from

ORD & FENTON V CALAN HEALTHCARE PROPERTIES LTD CA CA31/04 7 October 2004
Case name
Henry John Esdaile Nation v Nicola Mary Nation
Case number
SC CIV 26/2004
Summary
Relationship property - whether the determination of the date for assessment of the effect of disposition under s44C Property (Relationships) Act 1976 should be the date of the hearing - whether certain livestock is relationship property - whether a 'put to use' arrangement in respect of livestock can have the status of a property right for the purpose of s10(2) CA 190/03 26 November 2004
Result
21 April 2005

Leave to appeal granted.

8 April 2005

__________________

Notice of abandonment being lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
Leave judgment - leave granted
HENRY JOHN ESDAILE NATION V NICOLA MARY NATION SC  SC CIV 26/2004
Transcript

Hearing date 5 April 2005

Hearing date : 22 July 2005
Judgment appealed from

Nation v Nation [2004] NZCA 288 (26 November 2004)
Case name
John Hemmes v John Patrick Young
Case number
SC CIV 27/2004
Summary
Family law - whether s16(2) of the Adoption Act 1995 precludes the High Court from issuing a declaration of paternity under s10 of the Status of Children Act 1969 in respect of a child and natural parent where the child has been adopted.
Result
Leave to appeal granted. 
8 March 2005 
______________ 
Appeal allowed. All orders made below are set aside. The proceeding is struck out. Costs to the appellant in the total sum of $25,000 to cover all courts plus disbursements.
15 July 2005
Transcripts
Leave judgment - leave granted
HEMMES V YOUNG  [2005] NZSC 9  8 March 2005 (PDF, 12 KB)
Substantive judgment
HEMMES V YOUNG SC CIV 27/2004 [15 July 2005] (PDF, 51 KB)
Judgment appealed from
CA 33/04 26 November 2004 (note : not available electronically)
Case name
Graham Ashley Robert Palmer.
Case number
SC CRI 13/2004
Summary
Criminal Appeal - appeal against decision of the Court of Appeal to decline leave to withdraw a notice of abandonment of appeal. CA140/04 16 August 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused. 12 October 2004
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PALMER V R SC SC CRI 13/2004 [12 October 2004] (PDF, 39 KB)
Judgment appealed from
PALMER v R [2004] NZCA 185 (16 August 2004)
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