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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
Alexander Pieter van Heeren and Worldwide Leisure Limited v Michael David Kidd, Saraceno Holding BV, Stichting Administratiekantoor Saraceno Holding and Bank of New Zealand
Case number
SC 71/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred allowing the respondent’ s appeal
Result
A Notice of Abandonment having been filed the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed. 3 September 2019
Court of Appeal decision
KIDD v VAN HEEREN [2019] NZCA 352 [1 August 2019]
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Case name
FMV v TZB
Case number
SC 72/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Jurisdiction – Employment Relations Act 2000, s 161(1)(r) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the Employment Relations Authority had exclusive jurisdiction over the applicant’s claim that her employer breached various duties of care in relation to her employment – Whether the Court erred in upholding the High Court’s order granting permanent name suppression.
Result
A  The application for leave to appeal is granted (FMV v TZB [2019] NZCA 282).  
B  The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
8 October 2019
________________________________________________
A The High Court’s suppression order is amended to suppress only the identities of the parties and to remain in force so long as the suppression order made by the Employment Relations Authority remains in force.
B The appeal is otherwise dismissed.
C Costs are reserved.
20 August 2021
Transcripts
Media Releases
High Court decision
FMV v TZB [2018] NZHC 1131 [21 May 2018]
Court of Appeal decision
FMV v TZB [2019] NZCA 282 [4 July 2019]
Leave judgment - leave granted
FMV v TZB [2019] NZSC 108 [8 October 2019] (PDF, 32 KB)
Substantive judgment
FMV v TZB [2021] NZSC 102 [20 August 2021] (PDF, 392 KB)
Supreme court decision
Cost decision: FMV v TZB [2021] NZSC 145 [2 November 2021] (PDF, 45 KB)
Hearing date

17 March 2020

Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan and Williams JJ
Case name
Iraia Aranga Ngamotu Burton v The Queen
Case number
SC 73/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether an extension of time should be granted – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal to it against conviction and sentence – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in assessing the evidence, including propensity evidence and relevancy of evidence – Whether the applicant can produce new evidence before this Court – Whether there was a miscarriage of justice.
Result
The application for an extension of time is dismissed. 23 September 2019
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
BURTON v R [2018] NZCA 355 [11 October 2018]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
IRAIA ARANGA NGAMOTU BURTON v R [2019] NZSC 101 [23 September 2019] (PDF, 54 KB)
Case name
Peter James Brooks V The Queen
Case number
SC 74/2019
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed
8 October 2019
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PETER JAMES BROOKS v R [2019] NZSC 107 [8 October 2019] (PDF, 56 KB)
Case name
F v The Queen
Case number
SC 75/2019
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 trial. 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 trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
16 August 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
District Court /High Court judgment
Not publicly available
Case name
Cecilia Victoria Uhrle v The Queen
Case number
SC 76/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether there is jurisdiction to advance a second conviction appeal in the Supreme Court when an application for leave to appeal has already been dismissed.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 July 2020
Transcripts
Media Releases
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Substantive judgment
CECILIA VICTORIA UHRLE v R [2020] NZSC 62 [9 July 2020] (PDF, 87 KB)
Case name
Anthony Milton Mawhinney v Auckland Council
Case number
SC 77/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring a pre-trial appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B 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 the trial. Publication in a law report or law digest permitted.
10 September 2019
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ANTHONY MILTON MAWHINNEY v AUCKLAND COUNCIL [2019] NZSC 96 [10 September 2019] (PDF, 45 KB)
District/High Court judgment
Not publicly available
Case name
GP96 Limited v PVG Securites Trustee Limited  and F M Custodians Limited
Case number
SC 78/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding the appellant’s lease had been terminated – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in determining priority between provisions of the mortgage and the lease
Result
A An extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted in respect of both applications.
B The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
C GP96 Ltd must pay costs of $2,500 to each of the respondents.
7 November 2019
High Court decision
GP96 LIMITED v F M CUSTODIANS LIMITED [2019] NZHC 1183 [28 May 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
GP96 LTD v PVG SECURITIES TRUSTEE LTD [2019] NZCA 325 [23 July 2019]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GP96 LIMITED v PVG SECURITIES TRUSTEE LIMITED [2019] NZSC 123 [7 November 2019] (PDF, 52 KB)
Case name
GP96 Limited v F M Custodians Limited
Case number
SC 79/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding the appellant’s lease had been terminated – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in determining priority between provisions of the mortgage and the lease, on standard form documents
Result
A An extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted in respect of both applications.
B The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
C GP96 Ltd must pay costs of $2,500 to each of the respondents.
7 November 2019
High Court decision
GP96 LIMITED v F M CUSTODIANS LIMITED [2019] NZHC 1183 [28 May 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
GP96 LTD v PVG SECURITIES TRUSTEE LTD [2019] NZCA 325 [23 July 2019]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GP96 LIMITED v PVG SECURITIES TRUSTEE LIMITED [2019] NZSC 123 [7 November 2019] (PDF, 52 KB)
Case name
Peter Robert Howse v The Queen
Case number
SC 80/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the applicant should have been convicted at trial.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 September 2019
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PETER ROBERT HOWSE v R [2019] NZSC 99 [20 September 2019] (PDF, 35 KB)
Judgment appealed from - High Court of Wellington
Not publicly available
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