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.

17 August 2026

Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 128 KB) 

All years

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
Mark Anthony Whittington v Solicitor-General
Case number
SC 59/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring civil appeal

Result

A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $1,500.                                                                
25 August 2025

Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Stephen James Henare v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 60/2025
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 respondent costs of $2,500.
4 August 2025

Case name
S (SC 61/2025) v Health and Disability Commissioner
Case number
SC 61/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result
A The application to file reply submissions and for an oral hearing is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.                                     
6 October 2025
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Deborah Jane Bridge v The Crown
Case number
SC 63/2025
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.                                                                                                
8 September 2025
_________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 8 September 2025 (Bridge v The Crown [2025] NZSC 113) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
2 October 2025
__________________________________
A The second application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 8 September 2025 (Bridge v The Crown [2025] NZSC 113) is dismissed.
B The Registrar is directed not to accept for filing any further recall applications in relation to this matter.
C There is no order as to costs.
12 November 2025

High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Saletaulua Charles Faamanatu Maka and Tonga Seini Fata as Trustees of the Samoan Independent Seventh Day Adventist Property Trust v Siaosi David Sootaga Toailoa, Feu Seimaalii, Peniata Saunia, Attorney-General and Samoan Independent Seventh Day Adventist
Case number
SC 65/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicants in the two proposed appeals must pay the first to third respondents one set of costs of $2,500.

Case name
Xinhong (Victor) Jia v Yuling Yang and Sen Gao
Case number
SC 67/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring 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. 
10 November 2025

Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
The Samoan Independent Seventh Day Adventist Church (SISDAC) Charitable Trust Board v Siaosi David Sootaga Toailoa, Feu Seimaalii, Peniata Saunia, Attorney-General and Saletaulua Charles Faamanatu Maka and Tonga Seini Fata as Trustees of the Samoan Indepe
Case number
SC 71/2025
Summary

Civil appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicants in the two proposed appeals must pay the first to third respondents one set of costs of $2,500.

Case name
Ms Henderson v Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children
Case number
SC 74/2025
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 respondent costs of $2,500
30 September 2025

Case name
Samantha Joyce Wolfe, Clifford Morgan Royal and Te Tepu Ote Wakaminenga O Nga Hapu O Nu Tireni v Governor-General of New Zealand and Ors
Case number
SC 75/2025
Summary

Civil appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The first to eighth respondents must pay the applicants one set of costs of $1000.
17 August 2026

Date of hearing
07 May 2026
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Ellen France, Williams, Kós and Cooke JJ