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.
28 November 2025
Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 120 KB)
All years
Case name
Chief of Defence Force, Chief People Officer and Attorney-General v Four Members of the Armed Forces
Case number
SC 20/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Four Members of the Armed Forces v Chief of Defence Force [2024] NZCA 17).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
8 July 2024
________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The Court of Appeal’s order that the Temporary Defence Force Order 06/2022 (TDFO) be reconsidered is set aside, as is the Court of Appeal’s interim order that no action may be taken by the Chief of Defence Force pursuant to the TDFO and related instruments pending the reconsideration of the TDFO.
C The respondents must pay the appellants one set of costs of $30,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
11 April 2025
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
8 July 2024
________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The Court of Appeal’s order that the Temporary Defence Force Order 06/2022 (TDFO) be reconsidered is set aside, as is the Court of Appeal’s interim order that no action may be taken by the Chief of Defence Force pursuant to the TDFO and related instruments pending the reconsideration of the TDFO.
C The respondents must pay the appellants one set of costs of $30,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
11 April 2025
Date of hearing
08 October 2024
Judges
Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams, Kos and Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date 8 October 2024 Appellant Submissions (PDF, 764 KB)
- Hearing date 8 October 2024 Respondent Submissions (PDF, 1.9 MB)
- Hearing date 8 October 2024 Intervener Submissions (PDF, 1004 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 8 October 2024 Transcript (PDF, 591 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 8 9 October 2024 Case Synopsis (PDF, 364 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2025] NZSC 34 (PDF, 292 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Videos
- SC 20/2024 Chief of Defence Force and Ors v Four Members of the Armed Forces (Recorded, 8 October 2024)
Case name
Rex Malcolm Poole v The King
Case number
SC 21/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A An extension of time to make the application for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 June 2024
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 June 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
REX MALCOLM POOLE v R [2024] NZSC 67 [18 June 2024] (PDF, 183 KB)
Case name
Sirpa Elise Alalääkkölä v Paul Anthony Palmer
Case number
SC 22/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Alalääkkölä v Palmer [2024] NZCA 24).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct in the answers the Court gave to the questions of law before the Court.
9 May 2024__________________________________________________________________A We answer the questions of law as follows: copyrights are property for purposes of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 and they may be relationship property.
B The appeal is dismissed. We direct that the proceeding be remitted to the Family Court to decide the value and distribution or sale of the artworks and copyrights in them.
C The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $15,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
6 March 2025
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct in the answers the Court gave to the questions of law before the Court.
9 May 2024__________________________________________________________________A We answer the questions of law as follows: copyrights are property for purposes of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 and they may be relationship property.
B The appeal is dismissed. We direct that the proceeding be remitted to the Family Court to decide the value and distribution or sale of the artworks and copyrights in them.
C The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $15,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
6 March 2025
Date of hearing
24 October 2024
Judges
Ellen France, Williams, Kós, Miller and O'Regan JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date 24 October 2024 Appellant Submissions (PDF, 435 KB)
- Hearing date 24 October 2024 Respondent Submissions (PDF, 378 KB)
- Hearing date 24 October 2024 Appellant oral outline (PDF, 249 KB)
- Hearing date 24 October 2024 Respondent oral outline (PDF, 143 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 24 October 2024 (PDF, 546 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 24 October 2024 Case Synopsis (PDF, 318 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2025] NZSC 9 (PDF, 438 KB)
Substantive judgment
ALALÄÄKKÖLÄ v PALMER [2025] NZSC 9 [6 March 2025] (PDF, 245 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Videos
- SC 22/2024 Sirpa Elise Alalääkkölä v Paul Anthony Palmer (Recorded, 24 October 2024)
Case name
Francisc Catalin Deliu v Solicitor-General
Case number
SC 23/2024
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.
26 July 2024
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
26 July 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Daniel Coe v The King
Case number
SC 24/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is abandoned.
13 January 2025
13 January 2025
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Sainey Marong v The King
Case number
SC 25/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application to set aside the earlier abandonment of the appeal against conviction is declined.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
13 September 2024
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
13 September 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SAINEY MARONG v R [2024] NZSC 115 [13 September 2024] (PDF, 186 KB)
Case name
Allan Geoffrey Halse v Employment Court of New Zealand, The Employment Relations Authority and Rangiura Trust Board
Case number
SC 26/2024
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.
12 August 2024
B There is no order as to costs.
12 August 2024
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Alan Clinton McQuade v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 27/2024
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.
13 August 2024
B There is no order as to costs.
13 August 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Ecomi Technology Pte Limited v MB Technology Limited
Case number
SC 28/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
20 June 2024
B The applicants must pay the respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
20 June 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Orbis Technology Limited v MB Technology Limited
Case number
SC 29/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
20 June 2024
B The applicants must pay the respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
20 June 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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