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.
19 June 2026
Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 126 KB)
All years
Criminal Appeal
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B Leave to appeal is granted in part (Jury v R [2024] NZCA 320).
C The approved questions are:
(a) whether the High Court erred by admitting the hearsay statements of Rex Maney in evidence, and if so, whether the error occasioned a miscarriage of justice; and
(b) whether the trial Judge’s failure to give a reliability direction under s 122 of the Evidence Act 2006 with respect to those statements occasioned a miscarriage of justice.
D The application for leave to appeal is otherwise dismissed.
17 March 2025
- Hearing date 5 August 2025 Transcript (PDF, 527 KB)
- Hearing date 5 August 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 450 KB)
Criminal Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted (R v Bailey [2024] NZCA 552).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
5 March 2025
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A The appeal is allowed.
B The application under s 147 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 is remitted to the District Court for rehearing.
30 March 2026
- Hearing date 16 July 2025 Appellant Submissions (PDF, 987 KB)
- Hearing date 16 July 2025 Respondent submissions (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Hearing date 16 July 2025 Transcript (PDF, 435 KB)
- Hearing date 16 July 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 452 KB)
- MR [2026] NZSC 20 (PDF, 271 KB)
Civil Appeal
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Pascoe v Minister for Land Information [2024] NZCA 557).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to find that negotiations prior to the compulsory acquisition of land for essential works, under s 18 of the Public Works Act 1981, may be undertaken by an accredited contractor rather than by the Respondent personally (or an official of Toitū Te Whenua | Land Information New Zealand with delegated authority by the Respondent).
C Counsel to assist the Court will be appointed by the Registrar.
19 May 2025
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A The application of counsel assisting the Court for leave to adduce further evidence is granted.
B The Court answers the question for which leave was granted in the following way: the negotiations function under s 18(1)(d) of the Public Works Act 1981 may be performed by an accredited contractor, rather than the Minister personally or the Minister’s delegate within Toitū Te Whenua | Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), provided the accredited contractor holds delegated authority to perform that function.
C The Court finds that LINZ officials delegated the negotiations function outside the Public Service in this case but did not follow the necessary statutory processes. The appellants did not refuse to negotiate, for purposes of s 18(2), by refusing to deal with the accredited contractor.
D The appeal is allowed accordingly. The proceeding is remitted to the High Court to determine what relief, if any, is appropriate.
E The respondent must pay the appellants one set of costs of $3,000 plus usual disbursements.
18 December 2025
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Appellant's reply submissions (PDF, 468 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Respondent submissions (PDF, 1.6 MB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Counsel to assist the Court submissions (PDF, 806 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Appellant's oral outline (PDF, 330 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 oral outline for respondent (PDF, 238 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 oral outline for counsel to assist (PDF, 199 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Appellant submissions (PDF, 883 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Transcript (PDF, 645 KB)
- Hearing date 14 October 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 462 KB)
- MR [2025] NZSC 195 (PDF, 324 KB)
- SC 123/2024 Tony James Sofus Pascoe and Debbie Ann Pascoe v The Minister for Land Information (Recorded, 14 October 2025)
Civil Appeal
A Kea Investments Ltd’s application for leave to appeal is granted (Wikeley v Kea Investments Ltd [2024] NZCA 609, [2024] 3 NZLR 901).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to discharge the permanent anti-suit and anti-enforcement injunctions awarded to Kea Investments Ltd in the High Court.
C Counsel to assist the Court will be appointed by the Registrar.
D The applications to adduce further evidence are dismissed.
E The application to extend the stay in Wikeley v Kea Investments Ltd [2024] NZCA 686, (2024) 26 PRNZ 667 is granted pending determination of the appeal.
4 July 2025
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A The application for adjournment is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.
30 September 2025
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A The appeal from the decision of the Court of Appeal in Wikeley v Kea Investments Ltd [2024] NZCA 609, [2024] 3 NZLR 901 is allowed.
B The orders made by the High Court in Kea Investments Ltd v Wikeley Family Trustee Ltd (in interim liq) [2023] NZHC 3260 at [156(a)(i) - (iv)], and in Kea Investments Ltd v Wikeley Family Trustee Ltd (in interim liq) [2023] NZHC 3532 at [7], are reinstated.
C Costs are reserved.
10 November 2025
- Hearing date 5 - 6 November 2024 Transcript (PDF, 671 KB)
- Hearing date 5 - 6 November 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 451 KB)
- SC 127/2024 Kea Investments v David Wikely (Recorded, 6 November 2025)
- SC 127/2024 Kea Investments v David Wikely (Recorded, 5 November 2025)
Criminal Appeal
A Leave to appeal is granted ([2024] NZCA 626).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against sentence.
04 April 2025
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A The appeal is allowed.
B The proceeding is remitted to the District Court for resentencing.
C The applications to adduce further evidence and for name suppression are dismissed.
D Bail is granted on the terms currently applicable, as amended by this Court’s minute of 10 March 2026. Any application for variation to bail shall be addressed by the District Court.
- Hearing date 22 July 2025 Case Synopsis (PDF, 480 KB)
- MR [2026] NZSC 19 (PDF, 288 KB)
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
A The applications to adduce further evidence are dismissed.
B Mr Wikeley’s application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
4 July 2025
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was right to conclude that the Building Act longstop provisions do not apply to a contribution claim.
21 April 2024
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A The appeal is dismissed.
B The claim by Wellington City Council against Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd is not time-barred.
C The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel. 18 September 2024
- Hearing date 18 October 2023 Appellant submissions (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Hearing date 18 October 2023 Appellant Roadmap (PDF, 150 KB)
- Hearing date 18 October 2023 Respondent submissions (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Hearing date 18 October 2023 Case Synopsis (PDF, 380 KB)
- MR [2024] NZSC 117 (PDF, 275 KB)
- SC 11 2023 Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner Ltd v Wellington City Council (Recorded, 18 October 2023)
B We appoint Ms Guy Kidd KC as counsel to assist the Court under s 318(3)(a) of the Criminal Procedure Act.
6 April 2023
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The question of law (arising from Darling v R [2022] NZCA 504) referred to this Court being whether Mr Anderson’s acquittal meant that Mr Darling could not, in law, have been convicted of the offence with which he was charged, despite his guilty plea, is answered “No”.
17 November 2023
- Hearing date 16 August 2023 Counsel to assist submissions (PDF, 408 KB)
- Hearing date 16 August 2023 Solicitor Generals submissions (PDF, 478 KB)
- Hearing date 16 August 2023 (PDF, 432 KB)
- Hearing date 16 August 2023 (PDF, 353 KB)
- MR [2023] NZSC 151 (PDF, 310 KB)
- SC 12/2023 Solicitor-General's Reference (No 1 of 2023) from CA636/2021 ([2022] NZCA 504) (Recorded, 16 August 2023)
B The application for an extension of time by LF to appeal direct to this Court, against the High Court’s judgment ([LF] v R [2022] NZHC 2547) is granted. Leave to appeal is granted. The approved question is whether the High Court was correct to decline to grant LF permanent name suppression.
C We make an interim order prohibiting publication of LF’s name, address, occupation or identifying particulars pending the determination of the appeals by the Supreme Court.
D We make an order prohibiting publication of this judgment until 2 pm on 25 May 2023
23 May 2023
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A The application by the appellant LF to adduce evidence updating the position in terms of social media and other coverage relating to LF’s case is granted.
B M’s appeal is dismissed.
C LF’s appeal is dismissed.
D Order prohibiting publication of LF’s name, address, occupation or identifying particulars until 5.00 pm on 14 June 2024 or on earlier order of the Court quashing or varying this order.
E Order prohibiting publication of the media release; of the minutes; and of this judgment or any information therein until the judgment is delivered at 4.00 pm on 23 April 2024.
F Order prohibiting publication of any reference to mental health issues beyond those made in the judgment which is made publicly available.
G Order redacting part of the excerpt set out at [74] of the judgment which is made publicly available.
H Order made that the files for these appeals are not to be searched without the leave of a Judge of this Court.
23 April 2024
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NOTE: INTERIM ORDER PROHIBITING PUBLICATION OF LF’S NAME, ADDRESS, OCCUPATION OR IDENTIFYING PARTICULARS HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 5.00 PM 31 MARCH 2025 OR ON EARLIER ORDER OF THE COURT QUASHING OR VARYING THIS ORDER.
- Hearing date 19 October 2023 transcript.docx (PDF, 701 KB)
- Hearing date 19 October 2023 Case Synopsis (PDF, 450 KB)
- MR [2024] NZSC 29 (PDF, 307 KB)
B The application for an extension of time by LF to appeal direct to this Court, against the High Court’s judgment ([LF] v R [2022] NZHC 2547) is granted. Leave to appeal is granted. The approved question is whether the High Court was correct to decline to grant LF permanent name suppression.
C We make an interim order prohibiting publication of LF’s name, address, occupation or identifying particulars pending the determination of the appeals by the Supreme Court.
D We make an order prohibiting publication of this judgment until 2 pm on 25 May 2023
23 May 2023
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A The application by the appellant LF to adduce evidence updating the position in terms of social media and other coverage relating to LF’s case is granted.
B M’s appeal is dismissed.
C LF’s appeal is dismissed.
D Order prohibiting publication of LF’s name, address, occupation or identifying particulars until 5.00 pm on 14 June 2024 or on earlier order of the Court quashing or varying this order.
E Order prohibiting publication of the media release; of the minutes; and of this judgment or any information therein until the judgment is delivered at 4.00 pm on 23 April 2024.
F Order prohibiting publication of any reference to mental health issues beyond those made in the judgment which is made publicly available.
G Order redacting part of the excerpt set out at [74] of the judgment which is made publicly available.
H Order made that the files for these appeals are not to be searched without the leave of a Judge of this Court.
23 April 2024
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NOTE: INTERIM ORDER PROHIBITING PUBLICATION OF LF’S NAME, ADDRESS, OCCUPATION OR IDENTIFYING PARTICULARS HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL 5.00 PM 31 MARCH 2025 OR ON EARLIER ORDER OF THE COURT QUASHING OR VARYING THIS ORDER.__________________________________________
A The application to quash the interim order this Court prohibiting publication of the name, address, occupation or identifying particulars of the appellant is granted with effect as from 2.00 pm on Monday 3 March 2025. Suppression will lapse at that time.
B The application for extension of the interim order prohibiting publication of the appellant’s name in relation to his previous offending is declined.
28 February 2025
- Hearing date 19 October 2023 transcript.docx (PDF, 701 KB)
- Hearing date 19 October 2023 Case Synopsis (PDF, 450 KB)
- MR [2024] NZSC 29 (PDF, 307 KB)