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.

25 March 2025

Case information summary 2024 (as at 25 March 2025) –  Cases where leave granted (127 KB)

Case information summary 2024 (as at 25 March 2025)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 99 KB)

2025

Case name
Robert Erwood v Graeme Edward Minchin and Anthony David Banbrook
Case number
SC 21/2025
Summary
Civil appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Court of Appeal decision
ERWOOD v HARLEY & ORS [2024] NZCA 679 [18 December 2024]
Case name
BW v Commonwealth of Australia
Case number
SC 22/2025
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
High Court decision
BW v THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA [2023] NZHC 1587 [23 June 2023]
Case name
NZ Tramways & Public Passenger Transport Employees Union Wellington Incorporated v Tranzurban Hutt Valley Limited
Case number
SC 23/2025
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Employment Court decision
TRANZURBAN HUTT VALLEY LIMITED v NEW ZEALAND TRAMWAYS & PUBLIC PASSENGER TRANSPORT EMPLOYEES UNION WELLINGTON INC [2022] NZEmpC 75 [9 May 2022]
Court of Appeal decision
NEW ZEALAND TRAMWAYS & PUBLIC PASSENGER TRANSPORT EMPLOYEES’ UNION WELLINGTON BRANCH INC v TRANZURBAN HUTT VALLEY LTD [2025] NZCA 1 [4 February 2025]
Case name
Whitiaua Ropitini v The King
Case number
SC 24/2025
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
"Robert Winston" ([2025] NZHC 427) v Health New Zealand and the Chief Executive of Oranga Tamariki
Case number
SC 25/2025
Summary
 Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
High Court decision
[2025] NZHC 427
Case name
Amber Jade Cantwell v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 26/2025
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
District Court decision
[2024] NZDC 17939
High Court decision
[2024] NZHC 3827
Case name
Lei Zhou and Qiuying Zhang v Elizabeth Watson
Case number
SC 27/2025
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
High Court decision
ZHOU v WATSON [2023] NZHC 2328 [24 August 2023]
Court of Appeal decision
WATSON v ZHOU AND ZHANG [2024] NZCA 417 [4 September 2024]
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