Supreme Court case information

Criminal Appeal

A Leave to appeal is granted (F (CA126/2025) v R [2025] NZCA 385).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
9 December 2025

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

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 There is no order as to costs.
5 May 2026

Criminal Appeal 

A The application for leave to appeal is granted.
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the applicant’s appeal against conviction. 
5 March 2026

Criminal Appeal 

A Leave to appeal is granted in part (Watson v R [2025] NZCA 455). The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude no miscarriage of justice arose from the decision of the trial Judge to admit the visual identification evidence of Guy Wallace.
B The application for leave to appeal is otherwise dismissed.
10 March 2026

Criminal Appeal 

A Leave to appeal is granted (Mulford v R [2025] NZCA 444).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
18 December 2025

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.                                                                                                
22 October 2025

Civil Appeal 

A Leave to appeal is granted in part (Wu v Liu [2025] NZCA 560).
B The approved questions are:
 (a) whether the Court of Appeal erred in determining that a July 2018 deed found to be entered into by the parties as a result of unlawful threats made by the applicant against the respondent was illegal and void, rather than voidable on the basis that it was entered into under duress; and
 (b)    whether the Court of Appeal erred in failing to determine that, had the deed’s validity properly been assessed on the basis that it was voidable for duress and not void for illegality, the deed was affirmed by the respondent, as the High Court had found.
C The application for leave to appeal is otherwise dismissed.
14 April 2026

Civil appeal 

A Leave to appeal is granted in part (Estate of Ruru v Attorney- General [2025] NZCA 597).
B The approved questions are:
   (a) whether the Court of Appeal erred in its approach to the requirements for resumption in s 8HB of the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975; and
   (b) whether the Court of Appeal erred in its approach to the Waitangi Tribunal’s discretion to award compensation under sch 1 of the Crown Forest Assets Act 1989.
C The application for leave to appeal is otherwise dismissed.
10 June 2026

Criminal Appeal

A The application for leave to appeal by H is granted ([H] v R [2023] NZCA 633).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeals in both CA169/2023 and CA170/2023.
C We make an interim order continuing suppression of the applicant’s name, address, occupation and identifying particulars pending further order of this Court.
15 April 2024
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A The appeal against conviction is allowed and a discharge without conviction is substituted.
B We make an order prohibiting publication of the name, address, occupation and identifying particulars of the appellant.                                                  
10 June 2025