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
H (SC 135/2021) v Employment Relations Authority, Employment Court, Bay of Plenty District Health Board, Turuki Healthcare Charitable Services and RPW
Case number
SC 135/2021
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 costs to each of the third, fourth and fifth respondents of $1,500.
21 December 2021
B The applicant must pay costs to each of the third, fourth and fifth respondents of $1,500.
21 December 2021
Employment Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Vincent Ross Siemer v Auckland High Court and Matthew Simon Russell Palmer
Case number
SC 136/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.
6 December 2021
____________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 6 December 2021 (Siemer v Auckland High Court [2021] NZSC 173) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $1868.90
17 February 2022
_____________________________________________________
The recall application of 14 March 2022 is dismissed.
We direct the Registrar not to accept any further application from Mr Siemer which relate in any way to the High Court and Court of Appeal judgments referred to in our judgment of 6 December 2021, our judgments of 6 December 2021 and 17 February 2022 and this decision.
22 March 2022
B Costs are reserved.
6 December 2021
____________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 6 December 2021 (Siemer v Auckland High Court [2021] NZSC 173) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $1868.90
17 February 2022
_____________________________________________________
The recall application of 14 March 2022 is dismissed.
We direct the Registrar not to accept any further application from Mr Siemer which relate in any way to the High Court and Court of Appeal judgments referred to in our judgment of 6 December 2021, our judgments of 6 December 2021 and 17 February 2022 and this decision.
22 March 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Woolworths New Zealand Limited v Auckland Council, Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority, Foodstuffs North Island Limited and Medical Officer of Health
Case number
SC 139/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Auckland Council v Woolworths New Zealand Ltd [2021] NZCA 484).
B Leave is granted to the Medical Officer of Health to appear as an interested party at the substantive hearing.
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and dismiss the cross-appeal.
13 April 2022
______________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellants must pay the Auckland Council costs of $35,000.
5 May 2023
B Leave is granted to the Medical Officer of Health to appear as an interested party at the substantive hearing.
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and dismiss the cross-appeal.
13 April 2022
______________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellants must pay the Auckland Council costs of $35,000.
5 May 2023
Date of hearing
13 September 2022
- 14 September 2022
Judges
O'Regan, Ellen France, Williams and William Young JJ; Cooper P
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing 13 and 14 September 2022 Appellant submissions (PDF, 428 KB)
- Hearing 13 and 14 September 2022 First respondent submissions (PDF, 982 KB)
- Hearing Tuesday 13 September and Wednesday 14 September 2022 Interested party submissions (PDF, 1 MB)
- Hearing 13 and 14 September 2022 Joint Chronology (PDF, 200 KB)
- Hearing date Tue 13 Sept and Wed 14 Sept 2022 Woolworths outline of oral argument (PDF, 144 KB)
- Hearing date Tue 13 Sept and Wed 14 Sept 2022 Auckland Council oral outline (PDF, 1011 KB)
Transcripts
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 13 Sept and 14 Sept 2022 (PDF, 300 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 45 (PDF, 284 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Videos
- Woolworths New Zealand Ltd v Auckland Council SC 139/2021 & SC 140/2021 - 14 September 2022 (Recorded, 14 September 2022)
- Woolworths New Zealand ltd v Auckland Council SC 139/2021 & SC 140/2021- 13 September 2022 (Recorded, 13 September 2022)
Case name
Foodstuffs North Island Limited v Auckland Council, Woolworths New Zealand Limited and Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority
Case number
SC 140/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Auckland Council v Woolworths New Zealand Ltd [2021] NZCA 484).
B Leave is granted to the Medical Officer of Health to appear as an interested party at the substantive hearing.
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and dismiss the cross-appeal.
13 April 2022
_____________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellants must pay the Auckland Council costs of $35,000.
5 May 2023
B Leave is granted to the Medical Officer of Health to appear as an interested party at the substantive hearing.
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and dismiss the cross-appeal.
13 April 2022
_____________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellants must pay the Auckland Council costs of $35,000.
5 May 2023
Date of hearing
13 September 2022
- 14 September 2022
Judges
O'Regan, Ellen France, Williams and William Young JJ; Cooper P
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing Tuesday 13 Sept Wed 14 Sept 2022 Appellant submissions (PDF, 390 KB)
- Hearing Tue 13 and Wed 14 Sept 2022 First respondent submissions (PDF, 841 KB)
- Hearing Tuesday 13 September and Wednesday 14 September 2022 Interested party submissions (PDF, 1 MB)
- Hearing 13 and 14 September 2022 Joint Chronology (PDF, 200 KB)
- Hearing date Tue 13 Sept and Wed 14 Sept 2022 Woolworths outline of oral argument (PDF, 144 KB)
- Hearing date Tue 13 Sept and Wed 14 Sept 2022 Auckland Council oral outline (PDF, 1011 KB)
Transcripts
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 13 Sept and 14 Sept 2022 (PDF, 300 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 45 (PDF, 284 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Videos
- Woolworths New Zealand Ltd v Auckland Council SC 139/2021 & SC 140/2021 - 14 September 2022 (Recorded, 14 September 2022)
- Woolworths New Zealand ltd v Auckland Council SC 139/2021 & SC 140/2021- 13 September 2022 (Recorded, 13 September 2022)
Case name
Lynne Frances Snowdon v Radio New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 142/2021
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 dismissed.
B The application to adduce new evidence is dismissed.
C The application for a stay of the execution of the costs decision of the Employment Court is dismissed.
D The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
22 February 2022
________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 22 February 2022 (Snowdon v Radio New Zealand Ltd [2022] NZSC 9) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
23 December 2022
B The application to adduce new evidence is dismissed.
C The application for a stay of the execution of the costs decision of the Employment Court is dismissed.
D The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
22 February 2022
________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 22 February 2022 (Snowdon v Radio New Zealand Ltd [2022] NZSC 9) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
23 December 2022
Employment Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Garth Bowkett Paterson v Attorney-General (for the Ministry of Justice)
Case number
SC 147/2021
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.
10 February 2022
10 February 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Michael John Smith v Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited, Genesis Energy Limited, Dairy Holdings Limited, New Zealand Steel Limited, Z Energy Limited, New Zealand Refining Company Limited and BT Mining Limited
Case number
SC 149/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Smith v Fonterra Co-Operative Group Ltd [2021] NZCA 522).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal and allow the cross appeal.
31 March 2022
__________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The appellant’s claim is reinstated.
C There is no order as to costs.
7 February 2024
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal and allow the cross appeal.
31 March 2022
__________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The appellant’s claim is reinstated.
C There is no order as to costs.
7 February 2024
Date of hearing
15 August 2022
- 17 August 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date Monday 15 Wednesday 17 August 2022 Appellant submissions (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Hearing date Monday 15 Wednesday 17 August 2022 First to fifth respondents submissions (PDF, 422 KB)
- Hearing date Monday 15 Wednesday 17 August 2022 Sixth respondent Channel Infrastructure NZ Limited submissions (PDF, 177 KB)
- Hearing date Monday 15 Wednesday 17 August 2022 Seventh respondent BT Mining submissions (PDF, 235 KB)
- Hearing date Monday 15 Wednesday 17 August 2022 Intervener LCANZI submissions (PDF, 354 KB)
- Hearing date Monday 15 Wednesday 17 August 2022 Intervener Te Hunga Roia Maori submissions (PDF, 737 KB)
- Hearing date Monday 15 Wednesday 17 August 2022 Intervener Human Rights Commission submissions (PDF, 358 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 15 - 17 August 2022 (PDF, 1.6 MB)
Case Synopses
Media Releases
- MR [2024] NZSC 5 (PDF, 334 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
[2024] NZSC 5 (PDF, 693 KB)
Videos
- Michael John Smith v Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited SC 149/2021 - 17 August 2022 (Recorded, 17 August 2022)
- Michael John Smith v Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited SC 149/2021 - 16 August 2022 (Recorded, 16 August 2022)
- Michael John Smith v Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited SC 149/2021 - 15 August 2022 (Recorded, 15 August 2022)
Case name
NZDSOS Inc. and NZTSOS Inc. v Minister for COVID-19 Response, Director-General of Health and The Attorney-General
Case number
SC 150/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to bring a direct appeal to this Court is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.
24 November 2021
B Costs are reserved.
24 November 2021
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Supreme court decision
Case name
Alusi Limited, Openyd Limited, Rudayna Ibrahim, Abdulah Abdulqadir and Omar Jassim v G J Lawrence Dental Limited and Gary John Lawrence and Jason Peter Silk as trustees of the G J Lawrence Family Trust, and Diane Sheryl Lawrence and Jason Peter Silk as tr
Case number
SC 151/2021
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.
22 February 2022
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
22 February 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Biscuit Creek Forest Limited v Simon Frederick Vallance & Rosa Vallance
Case number
SC 152/2021
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.
1 April 2022
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
1 April 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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