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
Jyotin Tailor v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 143/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
16 February 2024
Case name
Graham Herbert Taylor v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 145/2023
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 dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
30 April 2024
Case name
Brett David Grinder v Attorney-General and New Zealand Parole Board
Case number
SC 147/2023
Summary

Civil Appeal

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Attorney-General v Grinder [2023] NZCA 596).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and in particular the proper approach to the imposition, variation or discharge of special conditions when a person subject to preventive detention is granted release on parole.
6 May 2024

________________________________________________________________

A The appeal is allowed. The decision of the Court of Appeal is set aside. The finding of the High Court that the issue for the Board on any reconsideration of the appellant’s conditions is as set out in the decision of Gwyn J at [130(a)–(b)] is reinstated.
B The respondents must pay the appellant one set of costs of $30,000 plus usual disbursements, provided that the amount does not exceed the amount paid by the Legal Services Commissioner for the appellant to bring this appeal. We allow for second counsel. If the amount paid by the Legal Services Commissioner is less than $30,000 plus usual disbursements, the respondents must pay the appellant one set of costs equal to that lesser amount.
18 November 2025

Date of hearing
22 October 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Ellen France, Williams, Kós & Miller JJ
Case name
Chien-Hui Wu v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 34/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed. 31 August 2022
Case name
Raewyn Wallace v Attorney-General and Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 90/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring a civil appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
6 June 2023
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
P (SC 91/2022) v High Court at Auckland, Court of Appeal, Commissioner of Inland Revenue and Attorney-General
Case number
SC 91/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring a civil appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay one set of costs of $2,500 to the third and fourth respondents.
22 November 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Christopher Joseph O'Neill v Commissioner Of Police, Judicial Conduct Commissioner, Chief High Court Judge, Director of Human Rights Proceedings and Attorney-General
Case number
SC 119/2022
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 fifth respondent, the Attorney-General, costs of $2,500.
3 March 2023
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Chesterfield Preschools Limited (In Liquidation) and Therese Anne Sisson v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 12/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The application for leave to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay costs of $3,000 to the Commissioner and $1,500 to Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) plus usual disbursements.
12 July 2021
_________________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 12 July 2021 (Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) v
Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2021] NZSC 83) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $500 to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.
8 October 2021
Case name
Chesterfield Preschools Limited (In Liquidation) and Therese Anne Sisson v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 17/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The application for leave to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay costs of $3,000 to the Commissioner and $1,500 to Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) plus usual disbursements.
12 July 2021
_________________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 12 July 2021 (Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) v
Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2021] NZSC 83) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $500 to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.
8 October 2021
Case name
Chesterfield Preschools Limited (In Liquidation) and Therese Anne Sisson v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 18/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The application for leave to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay costs of $3,000 to the Commissioner and $1,500 to Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) plus usual disbursements.
12 July 2021
_________________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 12 July 2021 (Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) v
Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2021] NZSC 83) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $500 to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.
8 October 2021