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
Case name
Lee Vandervis v Dunedin City Council and David Benham
Case number
SC 63/2022
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 (collectively) costs of $2,500.
16 September 2022
B The applicant must pay the respondents (collectively) costs of $2,500.
16 September 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Wenjing Liu v Future Sustainable Development Limited
Case number
SC 66/2022
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.
7 September 2022
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
7 September 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Ana Shaw v Bay of Plenty District Health Board
Case number
SC 67/2022
Summary
Civil 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.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
14 October 2022
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
14 October 2022
Employment Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
A (SC 70/2022) v The Minister of Internal Affairs
Case number
SC 70/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (A (CA677/2020) v The Minister of Internal Affairs [2022] NZCA 257).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
16 March 203
___________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B A declaration is made that the Minister’s decision to cancel the appellant’s passport was unlawful and invalid.
C The respondent must pay the appellant costs of $30,000 plus usual disbursements.
5 June 2024
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
16 March 203
___________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B A declaration is made that the Minister’s decision to cancel the appellant’s passport was unlawful and invalid.
C The respondent must pay the appellant costs of $30,000 plus usual disbursements.
5 June 2024
Date of hearing
24 July 2023
- 25 July 2023
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O’Regan, Ellen France, and Kós JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 16 March 2023 (PDF, 87 KB)
- Hearing date 24 - 25 July 2023 (PDF, 837 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2024] NZSC 63 (PDF, 343 KB)
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
Supreme court decision
Case name
Dennis Arthur Smith v Ian James Plowman, Nikau Grove Nursery Limited and Helen Irene Mitchell
Case number
SC 71/2022
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.
21 September 2022
_________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 21 September 2022 (Smith v Plowman [2022] NZSC 109) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
18 October 2022
B There is no order as to costs.
21 September 2022
_________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 21 September 2022 (Smith v Plowman [2022] NZSC 109) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
18 October 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Peter Daniel Staite, Jean Tanirau-Carston and Lynette Kathleen Palmer as trustees and representatives of the beneficiaries of the Whaoa No 1 Lands Trust, Peter Daniel Staite, Jean Tanirau-Carston, Teressa Hurihanganui, Dorothy Raroa and Lynette Kathleen P
Case number
SC 72/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
20 October 2022
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
20 October 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Harry Memelink v Collins & May Law
Case number
SC 74/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
10 November 2022
________________________________________________________
The application for recall is dismissed.
23 February 2024
B There is no order as to costs.
10 November 2022
________________________________________________________
The application for recall is dismissed.
23 February 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Gautam Jindal v Jarden Securities Limited, NZX Limited and Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
Case number
SC 81/2022
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 (collectively) costs of $2,500.
19 October 2022
B The applicant must pay the respondents (collectively) costs of $2,500.
19 October 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Cloud Ocean Water Limited v Aotearoa Water Action Incorporated, Canterbury Regional Council and Southridge Holdings Limited
Case number
SC 82/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Aotearoa Water Action Inc v Canterbury Regional Council [2022] NZCA 325).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
17 November 2022
________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellant must pay the first respondent costs of $35,000 plus usual disbursements.
C There is no order as to costs in favour of or against the second or third respondent or the Intervener.
20 November 2023
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
17 November 2022
________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellant must pay the first respondent costs of $35,000 plus usual disbursements.
C There is no order as to costs in favour of or against the second or third respondent or the Intervener.
20 November 2023
Date of hearing
22 March 2023
- 23 March 2023
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Williams and French JJ | Venue: Christchurch High Court Courtroom 12
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing 22 and 23 March 2023 Appellant submissions (PDF, 435 KB)
- Hearing 22 and 23 March 2023 First Respondent Submissions (PDF, 445 KB)
- Hearing 22 and 23 March 2023 Second Respondent Submissions (PDF, 174 KB)
- Hearing 22 and 23 March 2023 Third Respondent Submissions (PDF, 346 KB)
- Hearing 22 and 22 March 2023 Intervener Submissions (PDF, 333 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 22 - 23 March 2023 (PDF, 948 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 22 March and 23 March 2023 (PDF, 699 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 153 (PDF, 297 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Videos
- Cloud Ocean Water Limited v Aotearoa Water Action Incorporated, Canterbury Regional Council and Rapaki Natural Resources Limited SC 82/2022 - 23 March 2023 (Recorded, 23 March 2023)
- Cloud Ocean Water Limited v Aotearoa Water Action Incorporated, Canterbury Regional Council and Rapaki Natural Resources Limited SC 82/2022 - 22 March 2023 (Recorded, 22 March 2023)
Case name
The Trustees of the Motiti Rohe Moana Trust and Te Maru o Ngāti Rangiwewehi v Bay of Plenty Regional Council
Case number
SC 83/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal in SC 83/2022 is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal in SC 87/2022 is dismissed.
C The applicants must pay the respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
13 December 2022
B The application for leave to appeal in SC 87/2022 is dismissed.
C The applicants must pay the respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
13 December 2022
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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