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
Case name
Ahmed Zaoui v The Attorney-General, The Superintendent, Auckland Remand Prison and Human Rights Commission.
Case number
SC CIV 13/2004
Summary
Habeas Corpus - application for Habeas Corpus or bail under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court where the applicant is detained on the basis of a security risk certificate issued pursuant to Part 4A Immigration Act 1987. CA166/04 17 September 2004 PDF 258kb
Result
14 October 2004. Gault J; Keith J. Leave to appeal granted.
14 October 2004
______________________________
Declaration that there is jurisdiction to grant bail and to vary warrant. Court to reconvene on Thursday 9 December 2004 to hear further argument.
25 November 2004
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Bail allowed on conditions 9 December 2004
14 October 2004
______________________________
Declaration that there is jurisdiction to grant bail and to vary warrant. Court to reconvene on Thursday 9 December 2004 to hear further argument.
25 November 2004
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Bail allowed on conditions 9 December 2004
Transcripts
- Hearing date 10 and 11 November 2004 (PDF, 437 KB)
- Hearing date 9 December 2004 (PDF, 105 KB)
Leave judgment - leave granted
Supreme court decision
Case name
Edward Herbert Collingwood and Others v Minister of Internal Affairs, Hamilton City Council and Others.
Case number
SC CIV 15/2004
Summary
Appeal against refusal by Court of Appeal to grant leave to appeal out of time - appeal against further application for leave being struck out as an abuse of process. CA56/01 19 July 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused. 2 November 2004 PDF 12kb
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Ponifasio Ioane v Waitakere City Council.
Case number
SC CIV 17/2004
Summary
Employment law - Whether the employee's own conduct was causative of his dismissal - Whether the Employment Court was obliged under the Employment Contracts Act 1991 to reduce the damages awarded to the employee - Whether the employee was unduly prejudiced by the Employment Court's failure to explicitly state that medical evidence could be adduced at a resumed hearing. CA 21/03 9 September 2004
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed. 3 December 2004
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
James Bryson v Three Foot Six Limited
Case number
SC CIV 24/2004
Summary
Employment appeal - whether model maker working for the respondent was an employee or a independent contractor - interpretation of "employee" under s6 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 -whether film industry practice concerning manner of contracting staff relevant to determination - weight to be accorded to contractual label. CA 246/03 12 November 2004
Result
Gault J; Blanchard J. Leave to appeal granted. 22 February 2005 _____________________ New Zealand Council of Trade Unions granted Intervener status. 14 March 2005 ______________ Business New Zealand granted Intervener status. 16 March 2005 __________________________ The appeal is allowed. The decision of the Employment Court is restored. Costs in favour of the appellant against the respondent will be fixed by the Court following the receipt of written submissions. 16 June 2005 ___________________________ Judgment of the Court on Costs issued. 10 August 2005
Transcripts
- Hearing date 8 April 2005 CIV 24_2004 (PDF, 233 KB)
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Supreme court decision
Case name
Raymond Simpson v Kawerau District Council.
Case number
SC CRI 12/2004
Summary
Criminal appeal - appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal to decline to grant special leave to appeal to that Court. CA76/04 27 July 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused. 5 October 2004
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Westfield (New Zealand) Limited and Northcote Mainstreet Incorporated v North Shore City Council and Discount Brands Limited
Case number
SC 4/2004 SC CIV 4/2004
Summary
Civil appeal - resource management - application for consent for non-complying activity - whether a decision to proceed on a non-notified basis is extraordinary - whether the correct standard of review of such a decision is to be in accordance with traditional Wednesbury principles - whether the cautionary approach discussed in Bayley v Manukau City Council (1999) NZLR 568 should be adopted in non-notification decisions - whether there was sufficient material before the Commissioners to enable them to conclude that the effects of the application would be more than de minimis. CA 30/04 14 June 2004.
Result
6 October 2004 Elias CJ; Tipping J Leave to appeal granted.
6 October 2004
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The appeal is allowed. The order of the High Court is restored. The decisions made by the North Shore City Council (a) on 25 July 2003 not to require notification of the second respondent's resource consent application and (b) on 21 August 2003 granting that application are set aside. Costs in favour of the appellants are to be fixed by the Court following receipt of written submissions.
19 April 2005
6 October 2004
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The appeal is allowed. The order of the High Court is restored. The decisions made by the North Shore City Council (a) on 25 July 2003 not to require notification of the second respondent's resource consent application and (b) on 21 August 2003 granting that application are set aside. Costs in favour of the appellants are to be fixed by the Court following receipt of written submissions.
19 April 2005
Transcripts
- Hearing date 6 - 8 December 2004 (PDF, 685 KB)
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
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