Supreme Court of New Zealand
The Supreme Court of New Zealand (NZSC) is the final court of appeal in New Zealand for all civil cases, including patent cases.
History
The Supreme Court formally came into being on 1 January 2004 and sat for the first time on 1 July 2004. It replaced the right of appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, based in London.
Powers
The Supreme Court hears appeals related to patents from the Court of Appeal of New Zealand. Like the High Court of Australia, there is no automatic right of appeal to the Supreme Court of New Zealand. All appeals are by leave granted by the Supreme Court. No lower courts may grant leave to appeal. Leave is granted or declined based on a number of factors listed in section 74 of the Senior Courts Act, with the overarching principle being that it must be necessary in the interests of justice for the court to hear the appeal.
