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
Lillian Alice Taylor v The Attorney-General on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development
Case number
SC 94/2021
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 to amend the application for leave to appeal is granted.
C All other interlocutory applications are dismissed.
D The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
E There is no order as to costs.
F A copy of this judgment is to be provided to the Ombudsman.
4 November 2021
B The application to amend the application for leave to appeal is granted.
C All other interlocutory applications are dismissed.
D The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
E There is no order as to costs.
F A copy of this judgment is to be provided to the Ombudsman.
4 November 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Craig Lee McDonald v The District Court at Christchurch
Case number
SC 97/2021
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.
5 November 2021
B There is no order as to costs.
5 November 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Christopher Ryan v Health and Disability Commissioner
Case number
SC 98/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Ryan v The Health and Disability Commissioner [2021] NZCA 347).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to uphold the finding of liability under s 72 of the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994.
2 November 2021
________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.
28 April 2023
________________________________________________
The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements.
26 June 2023
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to uphold the finding of liability under s 72 of the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994.
2 November 2021
________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.
28 April 2023
________________________________________________
The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements.
26 June 2023
Date of hearing
24 March 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing 24 March 2022 (PDF, 433 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 42 (PDF, 286 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Supreme court decision
Case name
Winston Raymond Peters v The Attorney-General sued on behalf of the Ministry of Social Development, Brendon Boyle and Peter Hughes
Case number
SC 99/2021
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 costs of $2,500.
2 December 2021
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
2 December 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Garth Bowkett Paterson v Lepionka & Company Investments Limited, Stefan Jozef John Lepionka and Gregory Bernard Horton as Trustees of the Lepionka Business Trust, Lepionka & Company Limited, Stefan Jozef John Lepionka as Trustees of the SJ Lepionka Family
Case number
SC 101/2021
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.
3 December 2021
___________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 3 December 2021 (Paterson v Lepionka & Co Investments Ltd [2021] NZSC 171) is allowed only to make the change identified at [2] below.
B The [2021] NZSC 171 judgment is reissued with this change.
23 December 2021
B There is no order as to costs.
3 December 2021
___________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 3 December 2021 (Paterson v Lepionka & Co Investments Ltd [2021] NZSC 171) is allowed only to make the change identified at [2] below.
B The [2021] NZSC 171 judgment is reissued with this change.
23 December 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
F v W and L
Case number
SC 105/2021
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 second respondent costs of $2,500.
12 November 2021
B The applicant must pay the second respondent costs of $2,500.
12 November 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Kelly Alexandra Roe v University of Auckland
Case number
SC 106/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to each of the respondents.
15 November 2021
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to each of the respondents.
15 November 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kelly Alexander Roe v Auckland District Health Board
Case number
SC 109/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to each of the respondents.
15 November 2021
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to each of the respondents.
15 November 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kelly Alexandra Roe v New Zealand Vice-Chancellors Committee
Case number
SC 111/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to each of the respondents.
15 November 2021
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to each of the respondents.
15 November 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Parklands Properties Limited v Francis Miles Reynolds and Juliet Linell Reynolds as trustees of the F & J Reynolds Trust, Richard Norman Reynolds and Kristen Suzanne Reynolds and Auckland Council
Case number
SC 115/2021
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 first and second respondents (collectively) costs of $2,500.
13 December 2021
B The applicant must pay the first and second respondents (collectively) costs of $2,500.
13 December 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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