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.
11 July 2025
Case information summary 2025 (as at 11 July 2025) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 123 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 11 July 2025) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 95 KB)
All years
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
Case name
Paul Andrew Snowden v The Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 153/2021
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 There is no order as to costs.
8 March 2022
B There is no order as to costs.
8 March 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Preetam Prakash Maid v The Queen
Case number
SC 154/2021
Summary
Criminal 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.
4 April 2022
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 April 2022
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kelly Alexandra Roe v University of Waikato
Case number
SC 155/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
14 February 2022
14 February 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Joseph Douglas McGirr v The Queen
Case number
SC 156/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 March 2022
9 March 2022
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JOSEPH DOUGLAS MCGIRR v R [2022] NZSC 19 [9 March 2022] (PDF, 144 KB)
Case name
Wikitoria Rangihuna v The King
Case number
SC 157/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B We make an order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
9 February 2022
B We make an order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
9 February 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Auckland Council v C P Group Limited, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels New Zealand Limited, MLC Scenic Limited and T & T Clarry's Holdings Limited
Case number
SC 158/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (C P Group Ltd v Auckland Council [2021] NZCA 587).
B The approved ground is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
30 March 2022
_________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed. The decision of the Court of Appeal is set aside. The decision of the High Court dismissing the respondents’ application for judicial review is reinstated.
B The respondents must pay the appellant one set of costs of $35,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
C The award of costs and disbursements made in favour of the respondents in the Court of Appeal is quashed. That Court should redetermine costs in light of this Court’s judgment allowing the appeal.
D Costs in the High Court are to be determined by that Court in the light of this Court’s judgment allowing the appeal.
E Leave is reserved to the parties to apply for consequential orders if required.
12 May 2023
B The approved ground is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
30 March 2022
_________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed. The decision of the Court of Appeal is set aside. The decision of the High Court dismissing the respondents’ application for judicial review is reinstated.
B The respondents must pay the appellant one set of costs of $35,000 plus usual disbursements. We allow for second counsel.
C The award of costs and disbursements made in favour of the respondents in the Court of Appeal is quashed. That Court should redetermine costs in light of this Court’s judgment allowing the appeal.
D Costs in the High Court are to be determined by that Court in the light of this Court’s judgment allowing the appeal.
E Leave is reserved to the parties to apply for consequential orders if required.
12 May 2023
Date of hearing
20 July 2022
- 21 July 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O’Regan, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date 20 July 2022 and 21 July 2022 Appellant Submissions (PDF, 851 KB)
- Hearing date 20 July and 21 July 2022 Appellants Outline of Oral Argument (PDF, 85 KB)
- Hearing date 20 July 2022 and 21 July 2022 Appellant Chronology (PDF, 228 KB)
- Hearing date 20 July 2022 21 July 2022 1st 3rd Respondent Submissions (PDF, 744 KB)
- Hearing date 20 July 2022 and 21 July 222 2nd 4th Respondent Submissions (PDF, 433 KB)
- Hearing date 20 July 2022 21 July 2022 Intervener submissions (PDF, 173 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing 20 July 2022 (PDF, 927 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 20 and 21 July 2022 (PDF, 495 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 53 (PDF, 251 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Videos
- Auckland City Council v C P Group Limited SC 158/2021 - 21 July 2022 (Recorded, 21 July 2022)
- Auckland City Council v C P Group Limited SC 158/2021 - 20 July 2022 (Recorded, 20 July 2022)
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