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

Case name
James Bryson v Three Foot Six Limited
Case number
SC CIV 24/2004
Summary
Employment appeal - whether model maker working for the respondent was an employee or a independent contractor - interpretation of "employee" under s6 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 -whether film industry practice concerning manner of contracting staff relevant to determination - weight to be accorded to contractual label. CA 246/03 12 November 2004
Result
Gault J; Blanchard J. Leave to appeal granted. 22 February 2005 _____________________ New Zealand Council of Trade Unions granted Intervener status. 14 March 2005 ______________ Business New Zealand granted Intervener status. 16 March 2005 __________________________ The appeal is allowed. The decision of the Employment Court is restored. Costs in favour of the appellant against the respondent will be fixed by the Court following the receipt of written submissions. 16 June 2005 ___________________________ Judgment of the Court on Costs issued. 10 August 2005
Transcripts
Leave judgment - leave granted
JAMES BRYSON V THREE FOOT SIX LIMITED SC SC CIV 24/2004 [22 February 2005]
Substantive judgment
BRYSON V THREE FOOT SIX LIMITED SC CIV 24/2004 [16 June 2005] (PDF, 91 KB)
Supreme court decision
costs BRYSON V THREE FOOT SIX LIMITED SC CIV 24/2004 [10 August 2005] (PDF, 17 KB)
Case name
W J Clark v The Attorney-General
Case number
SC CIV 25/2004
Summary
Civil appeal against the refusal of an application for interim name suprpession - whether failure to give name suppression amounted to a breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 or the Convention Against Torture - whether the principle of open justice requires that the applicant's name be publicly available - whether, and to what extent the practice of the United Nations's Committee Against Torture and the right to privacy are relevant to the application.CA 213/04 2 December 2004; 8 December 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused. 17 February 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CLARK V THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL SC SC CIV 25/2004 [17 February 2005] (PDF, 17 KB)
Case name
Aerengaroa Timoti v The Queen
Case number
SC CRI 14/2004
Summary
Criminal appeal against conviction - Whether, in the circumstances of this case, provocation was available as a partial defence to murder under s167(d) of the Crimes Act - Whether the jury direction on provocation was inadequate, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. CA3/00 25 August 2004 PDF 92kb
Result
Leave to appeal granted.
10 December 2004
________________________
Appeal allowed. Conviction quashed. New Trial ordered.
21 June 2005
Leave judgment - leave granted
TIMOTI V R SC SC CRI 14/2004 [10 December 2004] (PDF, 11 KB)
Transcript
Hearing date : 17 March 2005
Substantive judgment

TIMOTI V R SC CRI 14/2004 21 June 2005
Case name
Westfield (New Zealand) Limited and Northcote Mainstreet Incorporated v North Shore City Council and Discount Brands Limited
Case number
SC 4/2004 SC CIV 4/2004
Summary
Civil appeal - resource management - application for consent for non-complying activity - whether a decision to proceed on a non-notified basis is extraordinary - whether the correct standard of review of such a decision is to be in accordance with traditional Wednesbury principles - whether the cautionary approach discussed in Bayley v Manukau City Council (1999) NZLR 568 should be adopted in non-notification decisions - whether there was sufficient material before the Commissioners to enable them to conclude that the effects of the application would be more than de minimis. CA 30/04 14 June 2004.
Result
6 October 2004 Elias CJ; Tipping J Leave to appeal granted.
6 October 2004
________________________________
The appeal is allowed. The order of the High Court is restored. The decisions made by the North Shore City Council (a) on 25 July 2003 not to require notification of the second respondent's resource consent application and (b) on 21 August 2003 granting that application are set aside. Costs in favour of the appellants are to be fixed by the Court following receipt of written submissions.
19 April 2005
Transcripts
Court of Appeal decision
Discount Brands Limited v Northcote Mainstreet Incorporated CA30/04 [2004] NZCA 383 (14 June 2004)
Leave judgment - leave granted
WESTFIELD NEW ZEALAND LIMITED And Anor V NORTH SHORE CITY COUNCIL And Anor SC SC4/04 [6 October 2004] (PDF, 13 KB)
Substantive judgment
WESTFIELD (NEW ZEALAND) LIMITED And Anor V NORTH SHORE CITY COUNCIL And Anor SC SC CIV 4/2004 [19 April 2005] (PDF, 258 KB)
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