Blake v Blake

In the Court of Appeal of New Zealand, the appeal of both parties, Maysie Blake and Bartley Blake, against the judgment of the High Court in Blake v Blake [2021] NZHC 756 was declined. The appeal involved the breakdown of the marriage of Mr and Mrs Blake, who had been married in 1986 and separated in 2016. The proceedings began in the Family Court and both parties appealed to the High Court. The appeal was heard by Whata J, who issued two judgments. Both parties then applied to Whata J for leave to appeal certain aspects of each judgment to the Court. Leave was required because an appeal in this Court would be a second appeal. The Court of Appeal found that the proposed additional appeal grounds did not raise questions of law or fact capable of bona fide and serious argument involving some interest public or private of sufficient importance to outweigh the cost and delay in extending the scope of the appeal. The Court of Appeal declined the applications for leave to appeal by both parties, and there was no order as to costs.