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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.

24 June 2024

Case information summary 2024 (as at 21 June 2024) –  Cases where leave granted (121 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 21 June 2024)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 125 KB)

All years

Case name
Melissa-Mae Ruru v The Queen
Case number
SC 25/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring a pre-trial appeal
Result
A Ms Ruru’s application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B Mr Sykes’ application for an extension of time for leave to appeal is granted.
C Mr Sykes’ application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
D 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 trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
11 May 2020
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MELISSA-MAE RURU v R [2020] NZSC 45 [11 May 2020 (PDF, 167 KB)
Case name
Tyson Jack Sykes v The Queen
Case number
SC 26/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to appeal
Result
A Ms Ruru’s application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B Mr Sykes’ application for an extension of time for leave to appeal is granted.
C Mr Sykes’ application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
D 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 trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted. 11 May 2020 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.
11 May 2020
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MELISSA-MAE RURU v R [2020] NZSC 45 [11 May 2020] (PDF, 167 KB)
Case name
Taite Hemi Kupa v The Queen
Case number
SC 31/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for an extension of time to file an application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
10 July 2020
Court of Appeal decision
KUPA V R CA453/2014 [2015] NZCA 135 [29 April 2015]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TAITE HEMI KUPA v R [2020] NZSC 64 [10 July 2020] (PDF, 151 KB)
Case name
Sainey Marong v The Queen
Case number
SC 36/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
24 November 2020
High Court decision
R v MARONG [2018] NZHC 748 [20 April 2018]
Court of Appeal decision
SAINEY MARONG v R [2018] NZCA 531 [28 November 2018]
Court of Appeal decision
MARONG v R [2020] NZCA 179 [22 May 2020]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SAINEY MARONG v R [2020] NZSC 133 [24 November 2020] (PDF, 41 KB)
Case name
C v The Queen
Case number
SC 39/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
28 August 2020
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
NATHAN RICHARD CROOK v R [2020] NZSC 86 [28 August 2020] (PDF, 53 KB)
Case name
William Allan Berkland v The King
Case number
SC 40/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Berkland v R [2020] NZCA 150)
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal's decision was correct.
17 November 2020
___________________________________________________________
A Mr Berkland’s appeal in SC 40/2020 is allowed. His sentence of 12 years and nine months’ imprisonment, together with a 50 per cent MPI, is quashed, and a sentence of eight years and eight months’ imprisonment is substituted.
B Mr Harding’s appeal in SC 64/2020 is allowed. His sentence of 28 and a half years is quashed, and a new sentence of 21 years is substituted. There is no adjustment to the MPI.
7 December 2022
Date of hearing
23 March 2021
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Transcripts
Case Synopses
Media Releases
High Court decision
R v BERKLAND [2018] NZHC 1520 [22 June 2018
Court of Appeal decision
BERKLAND v R [2020] NZCA 150 [8 May 2020]
Leave judgment - leave granted
WILLIAM ALLAN BERKLAND v R [2020] NZSC 125 [17 November 2020] (PDF, 35 KB)
Substantive judgment
WILLIAM ALLAN BERKLAND v R [2022] NZSC 143 [7 December 2022] (PDF, 459 KB)
Case name
Peri Pou v The Queen
Case number
SC 42/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A Leave to amend the notice of application for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
31 March 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PERI POU v R [2021] NZSC 31 [31 March 2021] (PDF, 45 KB)
Case name
Stephen James Henare v The Queen
Case number
SC 44/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
16 September 2020
High Court decision
R v HENARE [2019] NZHC 2126 [28 August 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
HENARE v R [2020] NZCA 188 [28 May 2020]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
STEPHEN JAMES HENARE v R [2020] NZSC 96 [16 September 2020] (PDF, 93 KB)
Case name
Albert Karl Lenin Stretch v The Queen
Case number
SC 47/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 November 2020
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ALBERT KARL LENIN STRETCH v R [2020] NZSC 128 [18 November 2020] (PDF, 44 KB)
Case name
Franchesca Kororia Borell v The Queen
Case number
SC 52/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
25 September 2020
High Court decision
R v BORELL [2018] NZHC 3281 [12 December 2018]
Court of Appeal decision
BORELL v R [2020] NZCA 235 [15 June 2020]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
FRANCHESCA KORORIA BORELL v R [2020] NZSC 101 [25 September 2020] (PDF, 79 KB)
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