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.

28 November 2025

Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 120 KB)

All years

Case name
AB (SC 5/2025) v The King
Case number
SC 5/2025
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
7 May 2025
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
AB (SC 5/2025) v R [2025] NZSC 49 [7 May 2025] (PDF, 160 KB)
Case name
Tyson Wade Francis Repia v The King
Case number
SC 12/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal 
Result

A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Repia v R [2024] NZCA 677).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal on the basis that Mr Repia’s reasonable belief in consent was excluded from inquiry in the involvement hearing under s 10 of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003.
27 March 2025
Date of hearing
14 August 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Kós and Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
Transcripts
Case Synopses
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
REPIA v R [2025] NZSC 59 [27 May 2025] (PDF, 128 KB)
Videos
Case name
Stewart Robert Coulson v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 13/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result

The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.                                                            
1 August 2025
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
COULSON v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2025] NZSC 96 [1 August 2025] (PDF, 142 KB)
Case name
W (SC 17/2025) v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 17/2025
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
1 May 2025
District Court decision
[2023] NZDC 9051
Court of Appeal decision
[2025] NZCA 15
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
W (SC 17/2025) v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2025] NZSC 46 [1 May 2025] (PDF, 175 KB)
Case name
Edmond Apanui v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 18/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal 
Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Commissioner of Police v Apanui [2024] NZCA 307).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
18 July 2025
Date of hearing
11 November 2025
Judges
Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
Case Synopses
District Court decision
[2023] NZDC 24918
Court of Appeal decision
COMMISSIONER OF POLICE v APANUI [2024] NZCA 307 [10 July 2024]
Leave judgment - leave granted
APANUI v COMMISSIONER OF POLICE [2025] NZSC 84 [18 July 2025] (PDF, 130 KB)
Videos
Case name
Manu Iongi v The King
Case number
SC 19/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal 
Result

A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B Leave to appeal is granted in part (Iongi v R [2024] NZCA 522).
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against conviction.
D The application for leave to appeal is otherwise dismissed.                                
03 July 2025
Date of hearing
22 October 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Ellen France, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
Transcripts
Case Synopses
High Court decision
[2024] NZHC 304
Court of Appeal decision
IONGI v R [2024] NZCA 522 [16 October 2024]
Leave judgment - leave granted
IONGI v R [2025] NZSC 73 [3 July 2025] (PDF, 157 KB)
Case name
BW (SC 22/2025) v Commonwealth of Australia
Case number
SC 22/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal 
Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Commonwealth of Australia v BW [2025] NZCA 8).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and find that the High Court erred in law when it concluded it would be oppressive to extradite BW to Australia.
16 June 2025
Date of hearing
04 November 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
Case Synopses
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
High Court decision
BW v THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA [2023] NZHC 1587 [23 June 2023]
Leave judgment - leave granted
BW (SC 22/2025) v COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA [2025] NZSC 66 [16 June 2025] (PDF, 138 KB)
Videos
Case name
Whitiaua Ropitini v The King
Case number
SC 24/2025
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
27 March 2025
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ROPITINI v R [2025] NZSC 60 [27 May 2025] (PDF, 157 KB)
Case name
Amber Jade Cantwell v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 26/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result

A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
15 September 2025
District Court decision
[2024] NZDC 17939
High Court decision
[2024] NZHC 3827
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CANTWELL v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2025] NZSC 118 [15 September 2025] (PDF, 144 KB)
Case name
Clover v Moss
Case number
SC 33/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result

A The application for leave to file supplementary submissions is declined.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C There is no order as to costs.                                                                                                                            
07 August 2025
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CLOVER v MOSS [2025] NZSC 100 [7 August 2025] (PDF, 158 KB)
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
[2025] NZCA 46
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