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.

12 December 2025

Case information summary 2025 (as at 18 December 2025) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 18 December 2025)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 121 KB)

All years

Case name
John Ross v Patrick Kannemeyer and Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Case number
SC 45/2024
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 costs of $2,500 to each of the first and second respondents.
1 August 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kevin Moore v Māori Land Court and Sheldon Ngatai, Georgina Te Otiana Johansen, Roselle Taylor, Bridget Taylor and Vincent George Brown as trustees of Waitara East Section 81B (Rohutu) Trust
Case number
SC 46/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The application for a stay of enforcement of the injunction pending determination of the appeal is dismissed.
C There is no order as to costs.
12 September 2024
Case name
Body Corporate 207624 v Grimshaw & Co
Case number
SC 47/2024
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.
1 August 2024
Case name
Tristan Lee Tamati v The King
Case number
SC 48/2024
Summary

Criminal Appeal

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Tamati v R [2024] NZCA 113).
B The approved questions are as follows:
(a) whether errors by trial counsel may have occasioned a miscarriage of justice; and
(b) whether in the circumstances a reliability warning was required.
2 August 2024
________________________________________________
The appeal is dismissed.                                                                                                                                          
03 July 2025

Date of hearing
25 February 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Transcripts
Case Synopses
Media Releases
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Videos
Case name
Louise Buchanan, Keith Marshall and Alistair Donald as trustees of the Buchanan Marshall Family Trust v Tasman District Council
Case number
SC 49/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Tasman District Council v Louise Buchanan, Keith Marshall and Alistair Donald as Trustees of the Buchanan Marshall Family Trust [2024] NZCA 133).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to hold that there was no duty of care owed by the respondent to the appellants while carrying out and making statements in relation to pool inspections under the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act 1987.
20 August 2024
____________________________
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the appeal is abandoned.
06 March 2025
Case name
Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) Limited v Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-Based Institutions and Attorney-General
Case number
SC 50/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to exceed the ten-page limit is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the second respondent costs of $2,500.
13 September 2024
Case name
The Trustees of the Motiti Rohe Moana Trust and Te Maru o Ngāti Rangiwewehi v Bay of Plenty Regional Council
Case number
SC 51/2024
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 respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
27 August 2024
Case name
Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Rose Standtrue, Crystal Loyal, Pearl Valor and Virginia Courage v Howard Temple, Samuel Valor, Faithful Pilgrim, Noah Hopeful and Stephen Standfast
Case number
SC 52/2024
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.
5 August 2024
Case name
Mark Anthony Whittington v Solicitor-General
Case number
SC 53/2024
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.
5 August 2024
Case name
Michael (Maxien) Stevens v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections and Prison Director at Auckland South Corrections Facility
Case number
SC 54/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
1 October 2024