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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.

23 December 2024

Case information summary 2024 (as at 23 December 2024) –  Cases where leave granted (126 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 23 December 2024)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 116 KB)

All years

Case name
Christopher Joseph O'Neill v Judiciary of Auckland High Court, Registry of Auckland High Court and persons as yet unknown
Case number
SC 56/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
10 August 2023
High Court decision
O’NEILL v THE JUDICIARY OF AUCKLAND HIGH COURT & Ors [2022] NZHC 2359 [14 September 2022]
Court of Appeal decision
O’NEILL v JUDICIARY OF AUCKLAND HIGH COURT, REGISTRY OF AUCKLAND HIGH COURT AND PERSONS AS YET UNKNOWN 2023] NZCA 153 [5 May 2023
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH O’NEILL v JUDICIARY OF AUCKLAND HIGH COURT & ORS [2023] NZSC 105 [10 August 2023] (PDF, 168 KB)
Case name
Daniel Gary French v The King
Case number
SC 57/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
10 August 2023
High Court decision
R v FRENCH [2022] NZHC 2470 [28 September 2022]
Court of Appeal decision
FRENCH v R [2023] NZCA 176 [17 May 2023]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DANIEL GARY FRENCH v R [2023] NZSC 103 [10 August 2023] (PDF, 155 KB)
Case name
Abdihafid Ali Mohamed v The King
Case number
SC 58/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 September 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
MOHAMED v THE KING [2023] NZCA 143 [3 May 2023]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ABDIHAFID ALI MOHAMED v R [2023] NZSC 117 [4 September 2023] (PDF, 180 KB)
Case name
K v The King
Case number
SC 59/2023
Summary
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of retrial.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
Result
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of retrial.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
10 September 2024
Case name
W (SC 60/2023) v The King
Case number
SC 60/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Mr Hoggart’s application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The applications for leave to appeal are granted in part ([W] v R [2023] NZCA 155). The approved questions are:
1 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that a media take down order was not required in the circumstances of this case.
2 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the verdicts were not unreasonable in light of admissible evidence relating to the potential culpability of Lester Hamilton (deceased).
C The applications for leave to appeal are otherwise dismissed.
D Interim order suppressing the name of W and any identifying particulars made on 9 June 2023 is to continue until further order.
12 December 2023
Date of hearing
06 August 2024 - 07 August 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case Synopses
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
W (SC 60/2023) v R and MARK JOSEPH HOGGART v R [2023] NZSC 164 [12 December 2023] (PDF, 197 KB)
Case name
Damien Shane Kuru v The King
Case number
SC 61/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Kuru v R [2023] NZCA 150).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
10 August 2023
__________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The appellant’s conviction is set aside.
C Order under ss 233(3)(a) and 241(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 that a judgment of acquittal be entered.
20 December 2024
Date of hearing
04 March 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Submissions from counsel
Transcripts
Case Synopses
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
DAMIEN SHANE KURU v R [2023] NZSC 102 [10 August 2023] (PDF, 156 KB)
Substantive judgment
KURU v R [2024] NZSC 184 [20 December 2024] (PDF, 829 KB)
Videos
Case name
Tanya Felicity Dunstan v Bank of New Zealand and Eddie (Whetū) Rangi
Case number
SC 62/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
26 July 2023
____________________________________________________________________________

A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 26 July 2023 (Dunstan v Bank of New Zealand [2023] NZSC 89) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
22 August 2023
High Court decision
DUNSTAN v BANK OF NEW ZEALAND [2023] NZHC 200 [16 February 2023]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TANYA FELICITY DUNSTAN v BANK OF NEW ZEALAND [2023] NZSC 89 [26 July 2023] (PDF, 210 KB)
Supreme court decision
Recall dismissed - TANYA FELICITY DUNSTAN v BANK OF NEW ZEALAND [2023] NZSC 110 [22 August 2023] (PDF, 211 KB)
Case name
Tanya Felicity Dunstan v Attorney-General
Case number
SC 63/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500. 27 July 2023
High Court decision
[2022] NZHC 3319
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TANYA FELICITY DUNSTAN v ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2023] NZSC 92 [27 July 2023] (PDF, 171 KB)
Case name
D (SC 64/2023) v N (SC 64/2023) and Ors
Case number
SC 64/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
8 August 2023
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
D (SC 64/2023) v N (SC 64/2023) AND OTHERS [2023] NZSC 99 [8 August 2023] (PDF, 123 KB)
Case name
Tanya Felicity Dunstan v Attorney-General, District Court at Manukau and JDN
Case number
SC 65/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the first respondent costs of $2,500.
9 August 2023
_______________________________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 9 August 2023 (Dunstan v Attorney-General [2023] NZSC 100) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
22 August 2023
High Court decision
DUNSTAN v DISTRICT COURT AT MANUKAU [2021] NZHC 311 [26 February 2021]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TANYA FELICITY DUNSTAN v ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2023] NZSC 100 [9 August 2023] (PDF, 156 KB)
Supreme court decision
Recall dismissed - TANYA FELICITY DUNSTAN v ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2023] NZSC 109 [22 August 2023] (PDF, 188 KB)
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