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.

31 July 2026

Case information summary (as at 31 July 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 31 July 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 131 KB) 

All years

Case name
FP v The Queen
Case number
SC 18/2007
Summary
S ummary Criminal – appeal against conviction and sentence – applicant pleaded guilty in the High Court to seven counts of sexual offending against young girls – whether leave should have been granted for a change of plea – whether language difficulties resulted in a miscarriage of justice – application for leave to appeal out of time.CA 205/05 22 November 2005
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 13 June 2007
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
F v R SC 18/2007 [13 June 2007] (PDF, 14 KB)
Judgment appealed from

R v F (CA206/05) [2005] NZCA 394 (22 November 2005)
Case name
DE; LW and CW v Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development
Case number
SC 75/2007
Summary
Civil – appeal against decision refusing a writ of habeas corpus in relation to the first appellant’s child – Family Court issued, on an ex parte basis, an interim custody order under s 78 of the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 – whether the s 78 interim custody order was used in an unlawful manner. [2007] NZCA 451 CA 358/07 18 October 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.

28 November 2007
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DE AND ORS V CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SC 75/2007 [28 November 2007]
Judgment appealed from
DE v Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development [2007] NZCA 453 (18 October 2007)
Case name
David John Young v The Queen
Case number
SC 21/2006
Summary
Criminal appeal - conviction under s 45(1) of the Arms Act 1983 for possession of an airgun except for some lawful, proper, and sufficient purpose - Court of Appeal dismissed appeal against conviction - whether Court of Appeal erred in interpretation and application of ss 42 and 48 of the Crimes Act 1961 - whether the Court of Appeal erred in interpretation and application of ss 4 and 27 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 - whether the Court of Appeal failed to address a ground of appeal. CA 266/05 8 March 2005CA
Result
Leave to Appeal dismissed.
6 June 2006
Court of Appeal decision
The Queen v Young [2006] NZCA 22 (8 March 2006)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
YOUNG V R SC 21/2006 [6 June 2006] (PDF, 16 KB)
Case name
David John Young v Land Transport Safety Authority
Case number
SC 33/2005
Summary
Criminal appeal - appeal against the decision of the High Court - leave to appeal refused by the Court of Appeal - whether defence of self-defence correctly applied to facts. CRI 2004 409 000196, 29 November 2004
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed. 27 July 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
YOUNG V LAND TRANSPORT SAFETY AUTHORITY SC 33/2005 [27 July 2005] (PDF, 16 KB)
Judgment appealed from

DJ YOUNG V LAND TRANSPORT SAFETY AUTHORITY CA CA78/05 19 May 2005
Case name
John Hemmes v John Patrick Young
Case number
SC CIV 27/2004
Summary
Family law - whether s16(2) of the Adoption Act 1995 precludes the High Court from issuing a declaration of paternity under s10 of the Status of Children Act 1969 in respect of a child and natural parent where the child has been adopted.
Result
Leave to appeal granted. 
8 March 2005 
______________ 
Appeal allowed. All orders made below are set aside. The proceeding is struck out. Costs to the appellant in the total sum of $25,000 to cover all courts plus disbursements.
15 July 2005
Transcripts
Leave judgment - leave granted
HEMMES V YOUNG  [2005] NZSC 9  8 March 2005 (PDF, 12 KB)
Substantive judgment
HEMMES V YOUNG SC CIV 27/2004 [15 July 2005] (PDF, 51 KB)
Judgment appealed from
CA 33/04 26 November 2004 (note : not available electronically)
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