The Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal on behalf of four Hawke's Bay businessmen facing charges under the Immigration Act.
In June 2007 the men appeared in the Hastings District Court, on a total of 112 charges of aiding and abetting illegal immigrants to work in New Zealand.
They were arrested after a two day operation by the Department of Labour in Hawke's Bay and Nelson-Marlborough.
Early this year, the Court of Appeal upheld a District Court judge's decision that they could be tried without the presence of a jury.
The Supreme Court agrees and says it does not consider there would d be a substantial miscarriage of justice if the men are tried by a judge alone.
A date for the trial will be set in November.
