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
Elizabeth Maria Bolea v The King
Case number
SC 25/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Bolea v R [2023] NZCA 39).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
22 June 2023
__________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The conviction for participating in an organised criminal group is quashed.
C The application for a discharge without conviction is remitted to the High Court for reconsideration.
3 May 2024
Date of hearing
31 October 2023
Judges
Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Case name
Raymond John Belsey v The King
Case number
SC 27/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is dismissed. 26 June 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
James Hay Wallace and McLean's Mansion Charitable Trust v The King
Case number
SC 31/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A) The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B) Order continuing suppression of the applicants’ names, addresses, occupations and any identifying particulars on the terms set out at [15] until 2 pm on 28 June 2023.
Suppression will lapse at that time.
26 June 2023
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Jiaxin Tu v The King
Case number
SC 35/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
23 February 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Jesse Shane Kempson v The King
Case number
SC 37/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed. 22 September 2023
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Selaima Fakaosilea v The King
Case number
SC 39/2023
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 (R v F [2018] NZHC 3377) is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal (Fakaosilea v R [2021] NZCA 401) is dismissed.
30 August 2023
Case name
Ngoc Hong Truong v The King
Case number
SC 44/2023
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
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Fazalullah Khan Mohammed v The King
Case number
SC 47/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 October 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Mahia Tamiefuna v The King
Case number
SC 51/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Tamiefuna v R [2023] NZCA 163).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
28 July 2023
Date of hearing
06 March 2024 - 07 March 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Case name
H (SC 54/2023) v The King
Case number
SC 54/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
8 September 2023
Leave judgment - leave dismissed