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.

17 August 2026

Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 128 KB) 

All years

Case name
Anthony Keith Peters v The Queen
Case number
SC 23/2006
Summary
Criminal law - appeal against order by Court of Appeal that there be a joint trial of applicant and another - whether trials of two accused on one count of murder should be severed - right to a fair trial - whether discretion of trial judge should have been interfered with - duty of Court of Appeal to give reasons - whether this Court has jurisdiction to hear an appeal against a pre-trial determination by the Court of Appeal. CA 430/05 22 March 2005CA
Result
Leave to Appeal dismissed.
7 June 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Peters V R SC 23/2006 [7 June 2006] (PDF, 16 KB)
Case name
Keith Hugh Nicholas Berryman and Margaret Berryman v The New Zealand Defence Force
Case number
SC 62/2006
Summary
Civil – costs award – whether Court of Appeal erred in finding an allegation of misconduct against a non-party was irrelevant to a costs order – allegation against armed forces of negligence in the construction of the applicants’ bridge – allegation that armed forces have abused the process of the Court – applicants held not to be entitled to documents sought in application for non-party discovery – costs principles. CA 95/05  13 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
31 October 2006
Court of Appeal decision
BERRYMAN AND ANOR V NZ DEFENCE FORCE CA CA95/05 13 July 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
BERRYMAN AND BERRYMAN v THE NEW ZEALAND DEFENCE FORCE SC SC 62/2006 [31 October 2006] (PDF, 62 KB)
Case name
James Alfred Hood, Robert George Hood, Kenneth John Hood v The Attorney-General and The Queenstown Lakes District Council
Case number
SC 11/2005
Summary
Civil appeal - land compulsorily acquired for public works no longer required - whether unreasonable or unfair to offer land back under s 40(2) Public Works Act 1981 - decision made by Minister other than the Minister empowered by statute - whether decision validated by s 25(e) Acts Interpretation Act 1924. CA 257/04 21 October 2004
Result
Leave to appeal declined. Costs to respondents $2,500 together with disbursements as settled by the Registrar.
5 August 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
HOOD And Ors V THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL  And QUEENSTOWN LAKES DISTRICT COUNCIL SC 11/2005 [5 August 2005] (PDF, 21 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Hood & Ors v The Attorney General & Anor [2005] NZCA 25 (2 March 2005)
Transcript
Hearing date : 21 July 2005
Case name
Governors Ltd & Stephen Kevin Chamberlain v George Albert Anderson and others
Case number
SC 75/2005
Summary
Civil - business premises unlawfully re-entered by landlord - whether damages correctly assessed - whether Court of Appeal properly dismissed an application to produce further evidence, without allowing the applicants to be heardCA 94/04 19 December 2005
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed. 5 April 2006
Recall judgment
GOVERNORS LIMITED AND ANOR V GEORGE ALBERT ANDERSON AND MARGARET ADAIR ANDERSON AND ANOR CA CA94/04 19 December 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Governors Ltd & Stephen Kevin Chamberlain v George Albert Anderson and others [2006] NZSC 25     5 April 2006 (PDF, 15 KB)
Judgment appealed from

GOVERNORS LIMITED AND ANOR V ANDERSON ANORS CA CA94/04 19 December 2005
Case name
Ahmed Zaoui v The Attorney-General, The Superintendent, Auckland Remand Prison and Human Rights Commission.
Case number
SC CIV 13/2004
Summary
Habeas Corpus - application for Habeas Corpus or bail under the inherent jurisdiction of the High Court where the applicant is detained on the basis of a security risk certificate issued pursuant to Part 4A Immigration Act 1987. CA166/04 17 September 2004 PDF 258kb
Result
14 October 2004. Gault J; Keith J. Leave to appeal granted.
14 October 2004
______________________________
Declaration that there is jurisdiction to grant bail and to vary warrant. Court to reconvene on Thursday 9 December 2004 to hear further argument.
25 November 2004
_______________
Bail allowed on conditions 9 December 2004
Transcripts
Leave judgment - leave granted
AHMED ZAOUI V THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL And Anor SC CIV SC 13/04 [14 October 2004] (PDF, 13 KB)
Supreme court decision
ZAOUI V THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL And Ors SC SC CIV 13/2004 [25 November 2004] (PDF, 189 KB)
Bail decision

ZAOUI V THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL And Ors SC SC CIV 13/2004 [9 December 2004]
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