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

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
Case name
Kevin Moore v Māori Land Court and Sheldon Ngatai, Georgina Te Otiana Johansen, Roselle Taylor, Bridget Taylor and Vincent George Brown as trustees of Waitara East Section 81B (Rohutu) Trust
Case number
SC 46/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The application for a stay of enforcement of the injunction pending determination of the appeal is dismissed.
C There is no order as to costs.
12 September 2024
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
Whangarei District Council v Malcolm James Daisley
Case number
SC 59/2024
Summary

Civil Appeal

Result

A The applications for leave to appeal and cross-appeal are granted (Whangarei District Council v Daisley [2024] NZCA 161).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to (1) dismiss the appeal against the High Court’s finding that the applicant was liable in negligence; and (2) allow the appeal against the High Court’s finding that the applicant was liable for misfeasance in public office, for which it should pay exemplary damages.
25 September 2024
__________________________________________________________________________

A The appeal is allowed in part. The finding that the appellant fraudulently concealed the respondent’s right of action is set aside.
B The appeal in respect of the award of damages of $90,000 for loss of the value of the Knight Road property, and interest on that sum in the terms set out by the High Court, is dismissed.
C The damages awarded to the respondent are otherwise set aside.
D The cross-appeal is dismissed.
E The respondent must pay the appellant costs of $45,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.     
4 June 2026
____________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 4 June 2026 (Whangarei District Council v Daisley [2026] NZSC 72) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
27 August 2026

Date of hearing
18 March 2024 - 19 March 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Kós and O'Regan JJ
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
Kevin Riley Plant v The King
Case number
SC 7/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
_________________________________________________________________________________
Result
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed. 11 July 2023
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Philip William Routhan and Julie Veronica Routhan as Trustees of the Kaniere Family Trust v PGG Wrightson Real Estate Limited
Case number
SC 45/2023
Summary

Civil Appeal and Cross-Appeal

Result

A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to cross-appeal is granted.
B Leave to appeal and cross-appeal is granted in part (PGG Wrightson Real Estate Ltd v Routhan [2023] NZCA 123).
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct in varying the damages awarded in the High Court.
D The applications for leave to appeal and cross-appeal are otherwise dismissed.
22 September 2023
____________________________________________________________________________________________

A The appeal is allowed. We fix damages payable by the respondent at $780,500, with interest as specified at [234].
B The cross-appeal is dismissed.
C The respondent must pay the appellants one set of costs of $50,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.                                                          
26 June 2025

Date of hearing
11 March 2024 - 12 March 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Kós and Miller JJ | Venue: Christchurch High Court Courtroom 12
Transcripts
Case Synopses
Media Releases
Case name
James Henry Wilson v The King
Case number
SC 60/2023
Summary

Criminal Appeal

Result

A Mr Hoggart’s application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The applications for leave to appeal are granted in part ([W] v R [2023] NZCA 155). The approved questions are:
1 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that a media take down order was not required in the circumstances of this case.
2 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the verdicts were not unreasonable in light of admissible evidence relating to the potential culpability of Lester Hamilton (deceased).
C The applications for leave to appeal are otherwise dismissed.
D Interim order suppressing the name of W and any identifying particulars made on 9 June 2023 is to continue until further order.
12 December 2023

_____________________________________________

A The appeals are allowed.
B The appellants’ convictions are set aside.
C An order is made under ss 233(3)(a) and 241(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 that judgments of acquittal be entered.
D The interim order suppressing Mr Wilson’s name and any identifying particulars made on 9 June 2023 is to expire on the release of this judgment.
7 July 2026

Date of hearing
06 August 2024 - 07 August 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case Synopses
Media Releases
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Substantive judgment
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