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 July 2026

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

All years

Case name
D (SC 3/2025) v Melissa Allan and Michael B T Turner
Case number
SC 3/2025
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.                                                                                                                  
04 April 2025
___________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 4 April 2025 (D (SC 3/2025) v Allan [2025] NZSC 29) is dismissed.
16 April 2025___________________________A    The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 16 April 2025 (D (SC 3/2025) v Allan [2025] NZSC 42) is dismissed.   
B    The Registrar is directed not to accept for filing any further applications in relation to this matter.
1 May 2025 
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Michael John Smith v Attorney-General
Case number
SC 10/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal 

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Smith v Attorney-General [2024] NZCA 692, [2025] 2 NZLR 1).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
19 December 2025

Date of hearing
17 August 2026 - 19 August 2026
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Ellen France, Williams, Kós and Cooke JJ | Venue: Auckland High Court, Courtroom 11
Case name
Michael and Julia Fuge, Bryce Marlowe Town, Chloe Ann Fuge and Julia Elizabeth Fuge as Trustees of the Aberdeen Four Trust v Wimax New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 31/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Date of hearing
17 February 2026
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Ellen France, Williams, Miller and Cooke JJ
Case name
Michael John Topp v The King
Case number
SC 91/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
17 November 2025

Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Michael Kevin Milne v The King
Case number
SC 172/2025
Summary

Criminal appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
2 April 2026

District Court 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
Case name
Tadd Management LTD v Ruth Renton Weine and Michael David Hoffmann-Body as Trustees of the Ruth Weine Family Trust
Case number
SC 87/2024
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 the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
20 December 2024
Case name
James Howard Nigel Smalley v Grant Robert Williamson, Ian Perry, David Michael Hayes, Grant Trevor Davies and Jeremy Daniel Sullivan
Case number
SC 66/2023
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 respondents costs of $2,500.
10 August 2023
Case name
Glenn Michael Soroka as Trustee of the Pakau Trust v Waikato District Council
Case number
SC 133/2023
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 respondent costs of $2,500.
20 December 2024
Case name
Jack Kain, Molly Kain, Rachel Kain, Stanley Kain, Wolsey Kain, George Couper McHardy Kain, Asta Kain, Madeline Kain, George Pavey Kain, Michael Kain, Rupert Kain, Samuel Kain and Marnie Coupie Forcer Kain v Public Trust and Georgina Kain, George Chalres K
Case number
SC 17/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal -  Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal in SC 17/2022 and SC 18/2022 are dismissed.
B Leave is reserved for submissions to be filed if costs are in issue.
24 May 2022