|
Element |
Case name |
Year |
Court identifier |
Judgment number |
Pinpoint reference |
|
Example |
Attorney-General v X |
[2007] |
NZCA |
388 |
at [70] |
|
Rule |
Eg Attorney-General v X [2007] NZCA 388 at [70].
When citing a case, the neutral citation should always be given (if available). Only use official neutral citations provided on the original copy of the judgment.
Some websites, such as the New Zealand Legal Information Institute, available at <www.nzlii.org>, have catalogued judgments using a numbering system that looks like a neutral citation. Do not use these numbers as they are not universally associated with the judgment and are liable to cause confusion. For guidance on when the various New Zealand courts and tribunals adopted neutral citations, see rules 3.3.3(b) and 3.3.3(c).
3.3.1 Case name and pinpoint reference
Cite the case name and pinpoint reference in accordance with the relevant rules for reported judgments: see rules 3.2.1 and 3.2.8.
Give the year as it appears in the official neutral citation on the judgment in square brackets. This will be the year in which the case was decided.
(a) General rule
Use the official court identifier adopted by the court. The identifier will generally indicate both the jurisdiction and the court. Given this information is provided as part of the core citation, it is not necessary to include a court identifier after the starting page.
Eg Attorney-General v X [2007] NZCA 388.
(b) New Zealand courts
The table below lists the New Zealand courts that have adopted neutral citations and indicates the official court identifier.
Court |
Court identifier |
Year of adoption |
Example |
Supreme Court |
NZSC |
2005 |
Pue v R [2005] NZSC 55 |
Privy Council |
UKPC |
2001 |
Commissioner of Inland Revenue v Auckland Harbour Board [2001] UKPC 1 |
Court of Appeal |
NZCA |
2007 |
R v Fowler [2007] NZCA 1 |
High Court |
NZHC |
2012 |
Smith v Jones [2012] NZHC 20 |
District Court |
NZDC |
2015 |
R v Du-Plessis [2017] NZDC 3994 |
Accident compensation appeals in the District Court |
NZACC |
2010 |
Brown v Accident Compensation Corporation [2011] NZACC 57 |
Employment Court |
NZEmpC |
2010 |
Matsuoka v LSG Sky Chefs New Zealand Ltd [2011] NZEmpC 44 |
Environment Court |
NZEnvC |
2010 |
Reid v Tararua District Council [2010] NZEnvC 21 |
Family Court |
NZFC |
2012 |
DKN v RDA [2012] NZFC 278 |
Youth Court |
NZYC |
2013 |
R v BT [2016] NZYC 227 |
(c) New Zealand tribunals
The table below lists the New Zealand tribunals that have adopted neutral citations and indicates the official tribunal identifier.
|
Tribunal |
Tribunal identifier |
Year of adoption |
Example |
|
Accident Compensation Appeal Authority |
NZACA |
2010 |
Bosman v Accident Compensation Corporation [2011] NZACA 1 |
|
Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority |
NZARLA |
2013 |
Clement v LAL’s Enterprises Ltd [2017] NZARLA 297 |
|
Commerce Commission |
NZCC |
2012 |
Re PMP Print Ltd and APN Print NZ Ltd [2012] NZCC 5 |
|
Copyright Tribunal |
NZCOP |
2010 |
Phonographic Performances (NZ) Ltd v RadioWorks Ltd [2010] NZCOP 1 |
|
Customs Appeal Authority |
NZCAA |
2010 |
X v Chief Executive of the New Zealand Customs Service [2011] NZCAA 1 |
|
Deportation Review Tribunal |
NZDRT |
2010 |
Rogers v Minister of Immigration [2010] NZDRT 26 |
|
Human Rights Review Tribunal |
NZHRRT |
August 2007 |
Bullock v Department of Corrections [2008] NZHRRT 4 |
|
Immigration Advisors Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal |
NZIACDT |
2010 |
JM v DTM [2011] NZIACDT 1 |
|
Immigration and Protection Tribunal |
NZIPT |
2010 |
AB (Afghanistan) [2011] NZIPT 800017 |
|
Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (Design Decisions) |
NZIPODES |
2012 |
Best Berries (NZ) Ltd v Greig [2014] NZIPODES 1 |
|
Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (Patent Decisions) |
NZIPOPAT |
2012 |
Cream Ltd v Crème Ltd [2012] NZIPOPAT 7 |
|
Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (Trade Mark Decisions) |
NZIPOTM |
2012 |
Yates v Ecotricity Group Ltd [2018] NZIPOTM 3 |
|
International Education Appeal Authority |
NZIEAA |
2010 |
Smith v University of New Zealand [2011] NZIEAA 12 |
|
Land Valuation Tribunal |
NZLVT |
2010 |
Napier Lane Ltd v Minister of Lands [2010] NZLVT 3 |
|
Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal |
NZLCDT |
2009 |
Auckland Standards Committee v Comeskey [2010] NZLCDT 19 |
|
Legal Aid Tribunal |
NZLAT |
2011 |
A v B [2011] NZLAT 15 |
|
Licensing Authority of Secondhand Dealers and Pawnbrokers |
NZSHD |
2010 |
Re Southcombe [2011] NZSHD 8 |
|
Liquor Licensing Authority |
NZLLA |
2010–2012 |
Crepin v Beck [2011] NZLLA 43 |
|
Motor Vehicle Disputes Tribunal |
NZMVDT |
2010 |
Spindler v Brian Corric Motors Ltd [2011] NZMVDT 36 |
|
Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority |
NZPSPLA |
2011 |
A v B [2011] NZPSPLA 15 |
|
Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal |
NZREADT |
2010 |
Complaints Assessment Committee v Downtown Apartments Ltd (in liq) [2010] NZREADT 6 |
|
Social Security Appeal Authority |
NZSSAA |
2010 |
An appeal against a decision of the Benefits Review Committee [2011] NZSSAA 10 |
|
Student Allowance Appeal Authority |
NZSAAA |
2010 |
An appeal against a decision of the Chief Executive, Ministry of Social Development [2010] NZSAAA 8 |
|
Taxation Review Authority |
NZTRA |
2010 |
BB v Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2011] NZTRA 1 |
In addition, the tribunals listed in the table below have also adopted neutral citations. In the case of these tribunals, the district in which the decision was made is included following the tribunal identifier and before the decision number.
|
Tribunal |
Tribunal identifier |
Year of adoption |
Example |
|
Employment Relations Authority |
NZERA |
2011 |
Griffin v Citibus Ltd [2011] NZERA Christchurch 137 Ozieranska v Cintra Quad Group Ltd [2011] NZERA Auckland 407 |
|
Tenancy Tribunal |
NZTT |
2010 |
Smith v Jones [2010] NZTT Wellington 904 |
|
Weathertight Homes Tribunal |
NZWHT |
2010 |
Eggers v Wellington City Council [2011] NZWHT Wellington 26 Chee v Stareast Investment Ltd [2010] NZWHT Auckland 33 |
Note that Waitangi Tribunal reports should be cited in accordance with rule 3.6.
(d) Decisions without an official neutral citation
If a court or tribunal that normally uses neutral citations fails to include an official neutral citation on a particular judgment or decision, cite that judgment or decision in accordance with the rule applicable for judgments or decisions without a neutral citation (rule 3.4).
The judgment number follows the court identifier. Each judgment issued by the court is given a unique number.
So, for example, the 96th judgment issued by the Court of Appeal in 2008 would be cited as Craggy Range Vineyards Ltd v Campbell [2008] NZCA 96.