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.
17 August 2026
Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 128 KB)
All years
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Civil Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal the High Court judgment is dismissed.
B The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal the Court of Appeal judgment is granted.
C The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
D The application for leave to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
E The application for an oral leave hearing is dismissed.
F The applicants must pay the first respondent costs of $2,500.
26 May 2026
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
The application for a stay of the suspension order is granted pending the Court's decision on the application for leave to appeal.
24 June 2026
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
26 March 2025
Civil Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted (Smith v Attorney-General [2024] NZCA 692, [2025] 2 NZLR 1).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
19 December 2025
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Appellant's submissions (PDF, 789 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Appellant's reply submissions (PDF, 265 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Respondent's submissions (PDF, 881 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Respondent's reply to interveners' submissions (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Te Hunga Rōia Māori submissions (PDF, 584 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Human Right Commission's submissions (PDF, 516 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Case Synopsis (PDF, 496 KB)
- Livestream Monday 17 - Wednesday 19 August 2026 at 10:00am (Livestream, 17 August 2026)
B There is no order as to costs.
28 May 2025
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
7 May 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.
03 April 2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
1 August 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.
25 November 2025