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.
20 March 2026
Case information summary 2025 (as at 20 March 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 88 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 20 March 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 123 KB)
All years
Civil Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted (Attorney-General v Grinder [2023] NZCA 596).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and in particular the proper approach to the imposition, variation or discharge of special conditions when a person subject to preventive detention is granted release on parole.
6 May 2024
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A The appeal is allowed. The decision of the Court of Appeal is set aside. The finding of the High Court that the issue for the Board on any reconsideration of the appellant’s conditions is as set out in the decision of Gwyn J at [130(a)–(b)] is reinstated.
B The respondents must pay the appellant one set of costs of $30,000 plus usual disbursements, provided that the amount does not exceed the amount paid by the Legal Services Commissioner for the appellant to bring this appeal. We allow for second counsel. If the amount paid by the Legal Services Commissioner is less than $30,000 plus usual disbursements, the respondents must pay the appellant one set of costs equal to that lesser amount.
18 November 2025
- Hearing date 22 October 2024 Appellant submissions (PDF, 427 KB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2024 First Respondent submissions (PDF, 1 MB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2024 Second Respondent submissions (PDF, 342 KB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2024 Intervener Criminal Bar Association submissions (PDF, 242 KB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2024 Intervener The Law Association submissions (PDF, 580 KB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2024 Transcript (PDF, 717 KB)
- Hearing date 22 October 2024 Case Synopsis (PDF, 323 KB)
- MR [2025] NZSC 165 (PDF, 296 KB)
- Brett David Grinder v Attorney-General and New Zealand parole Board (Recorded, 22 October 2024)
25 March 2024
9 March 2022
6 April 2022
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
14 April 2022
B We make an order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
30 March 2022
B Leave to appeal is granted (R v Hall [1987] 1 NZLR 616 (CA)).
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
3 May 2022
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A The appeal is allowed.
B The convictions of the appellant are quashed.
C Order under s 385(2) of the Crimes Act 1961 directing that verdicts of acquittal be entered.
8 June 2022
- Hearing date 8 June 2022 Appellant submission (PDF, 1 MB)
- Hearing date 8 June 2022 Respondent submission (PDF, 642 KB)
- Hearing date 8 June 2022 (PDF, 383 KB)
- MR 2022 NZSC 71 (PDF, 201 KB)
30 March 2022
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
27 May 2022