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.

20 March 2026

Case information summary 2025 (as at 20 March 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 88 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 20 March 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 123 KB) 

All years

Case name
Miles John McKelvy v United States of America
Case number
SC 154/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Case name
Miles John McKelvy v United States of America and District Court at Auckland
Case number
SC 155/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Case name
MA v R
Case number
SC 156/2025
Summary

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 PERMITTED.

Result

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 PERMITTED.
21 November 2025

Case name
Lori-Lea Wairoa Wade Te Wini v The King
Case number
SC 157/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Date of hearing
04 August 2026 - 05 August 2026
Judges
TBC
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Courtney Pauline Churchward v The King
Case number
SC 158/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Date of hearing
04 August 2026 - 05 August 2026
Judges
TBC
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Zane Edward Frankhouser v The King
Case number
SC 159/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
N v The King
Case number
SC 160/2025
Summary

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 PERMITTED.

Result

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 PERMITTED.

Case name
Rereamanu Ronaki-Wihapi v The King
Case number
SC 161/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

High Court decision
Case name
FCL CL Ltd as trustee of the FCL CL Trust v Monique Hune Lynch, Luke Alexander Sansom and Marta Yates
Case number
SC 162/2025
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Case name
Mohi Francis Mateparae v The King
Case number
SC 163/2025
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 February 2026

District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed