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
P (SC 46/2021) v Commissioner of Inland Revenue, W (SC 40/2021) and Attorney General
Case number
SC 46/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
28 May 2021
28 May 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
John Alfred Dowden v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 54/2021
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 respondent costs of $2,500.
15 July 2021
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
15 July 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Christopher Ryan v Health and Disability Commissioner
Case number
SC 98/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Ryan v The Health and Disability Commissioner [2021] NZCA 347).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to uphold the finding of liability under s 72 of the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994.
2 November 2021
________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.
28 April 2023
________________________________________________
The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements.
26 June 2023
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to uphold the finding of liability under s 72 of the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994.
2 November 2021
________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.
28 April 2023
________________________________________________
The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements.
26 June 2023
Date of hearing
24 March 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing 24 March 2022 (PDF, 433 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 42 (PDF, 286 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Supreme court decision
Case name
Keanu Head, James Logie Wright, Samuel Gregory, Rebecca Langford, Ashleigh Crichton, Tamara Joan Evans, Dylan Crook and Wendy Kain v Chief Executive of the Inland Revenue Department and Madison Recruitment Limited
Case number
SC 131/2021
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 each respondent costs of $2,500.
2 March 2022
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicants must pay each respondent costs of $2,500.
2 March 2022
Employment Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Raymond Law v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 138/2021
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.
16 November 2021
16 November 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Paul Andrew Snowden v The Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 153/2021
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 dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
8 March 2022
B There is no order as to costs.
8 March 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Peter William Mawhinney v The Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 32/2020
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.
11 August 2020
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
11 August 2020
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Commissioner of Inland Revenue v The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Trust Board and Paul Ross Coward
Case number
SC 38/2020
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 costs of $4,500 plus usual disbursements.
30 September 2020
B The applicant must pay costs of $4,500 plus usual disbursements.
30 September 2020
Date of hearing
15 September 2020
Judges
O'Regan, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 15 September 2020 (PDF, 255 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Boon Hooi Cheah v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 54/2020
Summary
Civil appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A Notice of Withdrawal having been filed the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
21 August 2020
21 August 2020
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
David John Hampton v Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, Official Assignee and Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 72/2020
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 costs of $1,250 to each of the second and third respondents.
13 November 2020
B The applicant must pay costs of $1,250 to each of the second and third respondents.
13 November 2020
High Court decision
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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