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
Local Government Mutual Funds Trustee Limited v Napier City Council
Case number
SC 103/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Napier City Council v Local Government Mutual Funds Trustee Ltd [2022] NZCA 422).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct:
(a) in its interpretation of exclusion 13(a) of the Protection Wording; and
(b) in its consequent finding that the claim by the respondent in relation to its liability to owners of apartments in the Waterfront Apartments complex was excluded by exclusion 13(a) only to the extent that the respondent’s liability arose directly or indirectly out of, or in respect of, weathertightness defects.
21 December 2022
______________________________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
1 August 2023
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct:
(a) in its interpretation of exclusion 13(a) of the Protection Wording; and
(b) in its consequent finding that the claim by the respondent in relation to its liability to owners of apartments in the Waterfront Apartments complex was excluded by exclusion 13(a) only to the extent that the respondent’s liability arose directly or indirectly out of, or in respect of, weathertightness defects.
21 December 2022
______________________________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
1 August 2023
Date of hearing
27 April 2023
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, O'Regan, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing 27 April 2023 Appellant Submissions (PDF, 7.9 MB)
- Hearing 27 April 2023 Appellant oral outline (PDF, 318 KB)
- Hearing 27 April 2023 Respondent Submissions (PDF, 681 KB)
- Hearing 27 April 2023 Respondent Oral Outline (PDF, 779 KB)
- Hearing 27 April 2023 Joint Chronology (PDF, 347 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 27 April 2023 (PDF, 550 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 27 April 2023 (PDF, 557 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 97 (PDF, 259 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Videos
- Local Government Mutual Funds Trustee Limited v Napier City Council - SC 103/2022 (Recorded, 27 April 2023)
Case name
Tanya Felicity Dunstan v Auckland High Court, Attorney-General And New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 114/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
17 February 2023
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
17 February 2023
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Michael Rawiri Taia v Auckland Standards Committee 5 and Southland Standards Committee
Case number
SC 121/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,000.
9 March 2023
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,000.
9 March 2023
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Poutama Kaitiaki Charitable Trust and D & T Pascoe v Taranaki Regional Council, New Plymouth District Council and New Zealand Transport Agency
Case number
SC 31/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicants must pay three sets of costs: $500 jointly to the first and second respondents, $2,500 to the third respondent and $1,500 to the interested party.
15 July 2021
_____________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 15 July 2021 (Poutama Kaitiaki Charitable Trust v Taranaki Regional Council [2021] NZSC 87) is allowed only to make the changes identified at [2] below.
B The [2021] NZSC 87 judgment is reissued with these changes.
23 September 2021
____________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 15 July 2021 (Poutama Kaitiaki Charitable Trust v Taranaki Regional Council [2021] NZSC 87) as reissued on 23 September 2021 is dismissed.
8 November 2021
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicants must pay three sets of costs: $500 jointly to the first and second respondents, $2,500 to the third respondent and $1,500 to the interested party.
15 July 2021
_____________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 15 July 2021 (Poutama Kaitiaki Charitable Trust v Taranaki Regional Council [2021] NZSC 87) is allowed only to make the changes identified at [2] below.
B The [2021] NZSC 87 judgment is reissued with these changes.
23 September 2021
____________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 15 July 2021 (Poutama Kaitiaki Charitable Trust v Taranaki Regional Council [2021] NZSC 87) as reissued on 23 September 2021 is dismissed.
8 November 2021
High Court decision
Recall judgment
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Donna Mary Newlands v Nelson City Council
Case number
SC 50/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
12 August 2021
12 August 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Malcolm Bruce Moncrief-Spittle and David Cumin v Regional Facilities Auckland Ltd and Auckland Council
Case number
SC 57/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Moncrief Spittle v Regional Facilities Auckland Ltd [2021] NZCA 142).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against the High Court’s substantive decision.
5 August 2021
_________________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Leave to adduce the affidavit of 18 February 2022 of David Cumin is declined.
C Costs are reserved.
5 December 2022
_____________________________________________________________________________
The appellants must pay the respondents costs of $10,000.
14 March 2023
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against the High Court’s substantive decision.
5 August 2021
_________________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Leave to adduce the affidavit of 18 February 2022 of David Cumin is declined.
C Costs are reserved.
5 December 2022
_____________________________________________________________________________
The appellants must pay the respondents costs of $10,000.
14 March 2023
Date of hearing
21 February 2022
- 22 February 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook . O'Regan and Ellen France JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 21 - 22 February 2022 (PDF, 770 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 21 February 2022 (PDF, 188 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2022] NZSC 138 (PDF, 193 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Supreme court decision
Case name
Peter William Mawhinney v Auckland Council
Case number
SC 59/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to amend the application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
21 September 2021
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
21 September 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Vincent Ross Siemer V Auckland High Court and Matthew Simon Russell Palmer
Case number
SC 68/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
21 September 2021
________________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 20 September 2021 (Siemer v Auckland High Court [2021] NZSC 120) is dismissed.
21 October 2021
________________________________________________
The second application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 20 September 2021 (Siemer v Auckland High Court [2021] NZSC 120) is dismissed.
8 November 2021
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
21 September 2021
________________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 20 September 2021 (Siemer v Auckland High Court [2021] NZSC 120) is dismissed.
21 October 2021
________________________________________________
The second application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 20 September 2021 (Siemer v Auckland High Court [2021] NZSC 120) is dismissed.
8 November 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Recall judgment
Case name
D (SC 83/2021) v High Court Auckland
Case number
SC 83/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
09 August 2021
09 August 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Cody Huritu v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 87/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applications for leave to intervene by the Auckland District Law Society Inc and the Criminal Bar Association of New Zealand are dismissed.
24 September 2021
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applications for leave to intervene by the Auckland District Law Society Inc and the Criminal Bar Association of New Zealand are dismissed.
24 September 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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