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.

31 July 2026

Case information summary (as at 31 July 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 31 July 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 131 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
Tracey Ida Peka, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Ida Hawkins v Sam Te Hei
Case number
SC 30/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal

Result

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

Date of hearing
10 March 2026
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Ellen France, Miller, Cooke and Katz JJ
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
Maui Ashley Solomon, Paul Te Teira Solomon, Thomas Henry Lanauze, Grace Ngaroimata Legros and Sharon Anne Elizabeth Wadsworth as trustees of the Moriori Imi Settlement Trust for and on behalf of Imi Moriori v Attorney-General and Deena Ngawhata Whaitiri,
Case number
SC 43/2025
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is abandoned 
15 May 2025 
Case name
Ingenious Asset Management Limited v Simon McConnon, John Baird McConnon, Kevin Bruce Ramsey, Stephen Mark Lawrence and Christopher Carey McCullagh
Case number
SC 57/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.                                                                                        
16 October 2025

High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Kristin Pia Cato v Manaia Media Limited, Rowan Dixon and Jane Thompson
Case number
SC 66/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

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

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
Body Corporate Number DPS 91535 and Argosy Property No. 1 Limited v 3A Composites GmbH, Terminus 2 Limited and Skellerup Industries Limited
Case number
SC 9/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal and cross-appeal are dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
9 May 2024