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.
11 July 2024
Case information summary 2024 (as at 5 July 2024) – Cases where leave granted (123 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 5 July 2024) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 126 KB)
All years
Case name
Christian Desmond Millar v The Queen
Case number
SC 146/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Preetam Prakash Maid v The Queen
Case number
SC 154/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 April 2022
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 April 2022
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Joseph Douglas McGirr v The Queen
Case number
SC 156/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 March 2022
9 March 2022
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JOSEPH DOUGLAS MCGIRR v R [2022] NZSC 19 [9 March 2022] (PDF, 144 KB)
Case name
R (SC 157/2021) v The Queen
Case number
SC 157/2021
Summary
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (Except the result as set out in [20]) 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 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.
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
John Norrie Seymour v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 159/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 April 2022
4 April 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Dennis Haunui v The Queen
Case number
SC 6/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Haunui v R [2019] NZCA 679).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal ought to have allowed the applicant’s appeal to that Court.
30 April 2020
__________________________
A The appeal is allowed. The convictions are quashed.
B We order a retrial.
C We make an 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 is permitted.
18 December 2020
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal ought to have allowed the applicant’s appeal to that Court.
30 April 2020
__________________________
A The appeal is allowed. The convictions are quashed.
B We order a retrial.
C We make an 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 is permitted.
18 December 2020
Additional document
[2020] NZSC 41 (PDF, 150 KB)
Case name
David Simon Barton v The Queen
Case number
SC 13/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
21 August 2020
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
21 August 2020
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Supreme court decision
DAVID SIMON BARTON v R [2020] NZSC 24 [25 March 2020] (PDF, 351 KB)
Supreme court decision
DAVID SIMON BARTON v R [2020] NZSC 30 [7 April 2020] (PDF, 346 KB)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Recall judgment
DAVID SIMON BARTON v R [2020] NZSC 112 [16 October 2020] (PDF, 167 KB)
Case name
Christopher Martin Bradley v The Queen
Case number
SC 16/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed with leave reserved to seek to appeal to this Court if an application for recall to the Court of Appeal is unsuccessful.
17 December 2020
17 December 2020
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
C (SC 17/2020) v The Queen
Case number
SC 17/2020
Summary
Criminal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
6 August 2020
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
6 August 2020
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
C (SC 17/2020) v R [2020] NZSC 77 [6 August 2020] (PDF, 182 KB)
Case name
Peniamina Ieremia v The Queen
Case number
SC 19/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted in part (Ieremia v R [2020] NZCA 17).
B The approved questions are:
(i) whether the Court of Appeal was correct to refuse leave to adduce the evidence of Mr Wilson and, if so, whether a miscarriage of justice arose as a result of this evidence not being before the jury at the applicant’s trial; and
(ii) whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that evidence of the complainants’ previous convictions was inadmissible at the applicant’s trial, or that, if any of it was admissible, its exclusion did not cause a miscarriage of justice.
3 July 2020
__________________________
A The application to adduce new evidence is granted.
B The appeal is allowed.
C The appellant’s convictions are quashed.
D A retrial is ordered.
E We make an 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 retrial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
14 December 2020
B The approved questions are:
(i) whether the Court of Appeal was correct to refuse leave to adduce the evidence of Mr Wilson and, if so, whether a miscarriage of justice arose as a result of this evidence not being before the jury at the applicant’s trial; and
(ii) whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that evidence of the complainants’ previous convictions was inadmissible at the applicant’s trial, or that, if any of it was admissible, its exclusion did not cause a miscarriage of justice.
3 July 2020
__________________________
A The application to adduce new evidence is granted.
B The appeal is allowed.
C The appellant’s convictions are quashed.
D A retrial is ordered.
E We make an 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 retrial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
14 December 2020
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