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
Chief of Defence Force, Chief People Officer and Attorney-General v Four Members of the Armed Forces
Case number
SC 20/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Four Members of the Armed Forces v Chief of Defence Force [2024] NZCA 17).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
8 July 2024
________________________________________
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
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
8 July 2024
________________________________________
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
Date of hearing
08 October 2024
Judges
Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams, Kos and Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
- 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)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 8 October 2024 Transcript (PDF, 591 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 8 9 October 2024 Case Synopsis (PDF, 364 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2025] NZSC 34 (PDF, 292 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Videos
- SC 20/2024 Chief of Defence Force and Ors v Four Members of the Armed Forces (Recorded, 8 October 2024)
Case name
Abdullah Robert Boyd v Australian Federal Police, New South Wales Legal Aid, New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand Police, Attorney-General, Office of the Inspectorate, Canterbury Intelligence Team and Ministry of Health
Case number
SC 40/2024
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 adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
D There is no order as to costs.
30 July 2024
B The application for leave to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
D There is no order as to costs.
30 July 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
John Ross v Patrick Kannemeyer and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Case number
SC 45/2024
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 costs of $2,500 to each of the first and second respondents.
1 August 2024
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to each of the first and second respondents.
1 August 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Michael (Maxien) Stevens v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections and Prison Director at Auckland South Corrections Facility
Case number
SC 54/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
1 October 2024
B There is no order as to costs.
1 October 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kyle James Craig v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 57/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring civil appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
13 August 2024
13 August 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Pierre John Parsons v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 92/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
13 December 2024
13 December 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Ashor Chrisitan Gorgus v The Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections and Attorney-General
Case number
SC 131/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
9 May 2025
B There is no order as to costs.
9 May 2025
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
MC (SC 17/2023) v Family Court at Manukau and Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki | Ministry for Children
Case number
SC 17/2023
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 against the High Court judgment (MC v Family Court at Manukau [2022] NZHC 870) is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal judgment (MC (CA266/2022) v Manukau Family Court [2022] NZCA 571) is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the second respondent costs of $2,500.
15 May 2023
B The application for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal judgment (MC (CA266/2022) v Manukau Family Court [2022] NZCA 571) is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the second respondent costs of $2,500.
15 May 2023
High Court decision
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
G (SC 50/2023) v Commissioner of Police, Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections and District Court at Wellington
Case number
SC 50/2023
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 and second respondents costs of $2,500.
14 September 2023
B The applicant must pay the first and second respondents costs of $2,500.
14 September 2023
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
L (SC 71/2023) v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 71/2023
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. publication in law report or law digest permitted.
Result
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. publication in law report or law digest permitted.
16 August 2022
16 August 2022
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
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