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.
22 September 2026
Case information summary (as at 18 September 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 112 KB)
Case information summary (as at 18 September 2026) – Currently unavailable
All years
Civil Appeal
A Leave to appeal and cross-appeal is granted (Mercury NZ Limited v Māori Land Court [2026] NZCA 91).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct (1) to dismiss the applicants’ appeal and cross-appeal, (2) to allow the first and second respondents’ appeals in part, and (3) to reinstate paragraphs [30(c)] and [30(d)] of the applicants’ amended statement of claim.
25 August 2026
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
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
Civil Appeal
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
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Appellant's submissions (PDF, 789 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Appellant's reply submissions (PDF, 265 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Appellant's reply submissions regarding NZBORA (PDF, 162 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Appellant's roadmap (PDF, 211 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Respondent's submissions (PDF, 881 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Respondent's reply to interveners' submissions (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Te Hunga Rōia Māori submissions (PDF, 584 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Te Hunga Rōia Māori roadmap (PDF, 90 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Human Right Commission's submissions (PDF, 516 KB)
- Hearing date 17 - 20 August 2026 Transcript (PDF, 2.2 MB)
- Hearing date 17 - 19 August 2026 Case Synopsis (PDF, 496 KB)
- SC 10/2025 Michael John Smith v Attorney-General (Recorded, 20 August 2026)
- SC 10/2025 Michael John Smith v Attorney-General (Recorded, 19 August 2026)
- SC 10/2025 Michael John Smith v Attorney-General (Recorded, 18 August 2026)
- SC 10/2025 Michael John Smith v Attorney-General (Recorded, 17 August 2026)
Civil Appeal
A Leave to appeal and cross-appeal is granted in part (Peka (as personal representative of the Estate of Hawkins) v Te Hei [2025] NZCA 32, [2025] 2 NZLR 353).
B The approved questions are:
(a) whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and dismiss the cross-appeal; and
(b) whether the Court of Appeal was correct to refer Mrs Hawkins’ claim back to the Victims’ Special Claims Tribunal for reconsideration in light of its judgment.
C The application for leave to cross-appeal the issue of costs in the High Court is dismissed.
25 August 2025
_____________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The cross-appeal is allowed, and the order for reconsideration is set aside.
C There is no order as to costs.
4 September 2026
- Hearing date 10 March 2026 Appellant submissions (PDF, 444 KB)
- Hearing date 10 March 2026 Respondent submissions (PDF, 1.4 MB)
- Hearing date 10 March 2026 Cross appellant submissions (PDF, 383 KB)
- Hearing date 10 March 2026 Cross respondent submissions (PDF, 226 KB)
- Hearing date 10 March 2026 Appellant oral outline (PDF, 281 KB)
- Hearing date 10 March 2026 Respondent oral outline (PDF, 70 KB)
- Hearing date 10 March 2026 Certified Chronology (PDF, 77 KB)
- Hearing date 10 March 2026 Transcript (PDF, 626 KB)
- Hearing date 10 March 2026 Case Synopsis (PDF, 358 KB)
- MR [2026] NZSC 121 (PDF, 281 KB)
- SC 30/2025 Tracey Ida Peka as personal representative of the estate of Ida Hawkins v Sam Te Hei (Recorded, 10 March 2026)
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
- Hearing date 17 February 2026 Transcript (PDF, 669 KB)
- Hearing date 17 February 2026 Case Synopsis (PDF, 448 KB)
15 May 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.
16 October 2025
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is abandoned.
B A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to cross-appeal is abandoned.
6 August 2025
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
17 November 2025