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
Jeremy James McGuire v Comissioner of Inland Revenue and District Court at Palmerston North
Case number
SC 11/2026
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 first respondent costs of $2,500. 
07 May 2026

Case name
Kenny Leslie McMillan v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 42/2026
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Case name
W v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 78/2026
Summary

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial.

District Court decision
Not publicly available
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Anthony Pratt Kaye v Judicial Conduct Commissioner
Case number
SC 80/2026
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Case name
Kim Dotcom v Minister of Justice and Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 81/2026
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Case name
Edmond Apanui v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 18/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal 

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Commissioner of Police v Apanui [2024] NZCA 307).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
18 July 2025

Date of hearing
11 November 2025
Judges
Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case name
Stephen James Henare v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 60/2025
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 respondent costs of $2,500.
4 August 2025

Case name
S (SC 61/2025) v Health and Disability Commissioner
Case number
SC 61/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result
A The application to file reply submissions and for an oral hearing is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.                                     
6 October 2025
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Stephen Craig Alexander v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 96/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
24 April 2026

Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kirstin Marjory Slessor v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 3/2024
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 respondent costs of $2,500.
8 May 2024
_________________________________________
Following delivery of this judgment on 8 May 2024, counsel advised that the
applicant was in fact legally aided. Accordingly no order for costs is now made.
25 July 2024