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.
19 June 2026
Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 126 KB)
All years
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 March 2026
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A The application for an extension of time to file the notice of application for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
10 June 2026
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
03 April 2025
Civil Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted (Chief Executive of Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment v Hairland Holdings Ltd [2025] NZCA 219).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal on the basis that the Employment Relations Authority does not have jurisdiction to hear an application, brought by a purported employer against the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the Labour Inspector and/or its workers, for a bare declaration that its workers are not employees under s 6(1) of the Employment Relations Act 2000.
1 October 2025
- Hearing date 5 May 2026 Appellant's submissions (PDF, 283 KB)
- Hearing date 5 May 2026 Respondent's submissions (PDF, 459 KB)
- Hearing date 5 May 2026 Transcript (PDF, 332 KB)
- Hearing date 5 May 2026 Case Synopsis (PDF, 444 KB)
Civil appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500
30 September 2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
1 December 2025
19 March 2024
21 March 2024
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
8 July 2024
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A The appeal is allowed.
B The Court of Appeal’s order that the Temporary Defence Force Order 06/2022 (TDFO) be reconsidered is set aside, as is the Court of Appeal’s interim order that no action may be taken by the Chief of Defence Force pursuant to the TDFO and related instruments pending the reconsideration of the TDFO.
C The respondents must pay the appellants one set of costs of $30,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
11 April 2025
- Hearing date 8 October 2024 Appellant Submissions (PDF, 764 KB)
- Hearing date 8 October 2024 Respondent Submissions (PDF, 1.9 MB)
- Hearing date 8 October 2024 Intervener Submissions (PDF, 1004 KB)
- Hearing date 8 October 2024 Transcript (PDF, 591 KB)
- Hearing date 8 9 October 2024 Case Synopsis (PDF, 364 KB)
- MR [2025] NZSC 34 (PDF, 292 KB)
- SC 20/2024 Chief of Defence Force and Ors v Four Members of the Armed Forces (Recorded, 8 October 2024)