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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
F v The Queen 
Case number
SC 70/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the complainant’s evidential video interview should have been replayed in full during jury deliberations – Whether a demeanour direction needed to be given close in time to the video’ s replaying.  [2014] NZCA 229   CA 411/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
1 September 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
F (SC 70/2015) v R [2015] NZSC 131   1 September 2015 (PDF, 82 KB)
Judgment appealed from

F (CA411/2014) v R CA4112/2014 [2015] NZCA 229    10 June 2015
Case name
Dinesh Kumar Manoharan   v The Queen 
Case number
SC 71/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that the trial Judge had not erred in allowing certain evidence to be admitted, in particular low copy number DNA evidence – whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that the verdict was not unreasonable.[2015] NZCA 237    CA5/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
28 October 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DINESH KUMAR MANOHARAN v R [2015] NZSC 156    28 October 2015 (PDF, 81 KB)
Judgment appealed from

MANOHARAN v R CA5/2013 [2015] NZCA 237   11 June 2015
Case name
Tony Douglas Robertson v The Queen
Case number
SC 72/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that publication of the name and other suppressed information about the applicant would not be likely to create a real risk of prejudice to a fair trial if the appellant appeals successfully to the Court of Appeal against conviction and a new trial is ordered.[2015] NZCA 287   CA340/2015
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
28 July 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TONY DOUGLAS ROBERTSON v R [2015] NZSC 114   28 July 2015 (PDF, 77 KB)
Judgment appealed from

not available online
Case name
 Tatyana Kondratyeva v The Queen
Case number
SC 75/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to decline the application to adduce further evidence – Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against conviction.[2015] NZCA 266    CA6/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 December 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TATYANA KONDRATYEVA v R [2015] NZSC 186   4 December 2015 (PDF, 70 KB)
Judgment appealed from

KONDRATYEVA V R CA6/2015 [2015] NZCA 266   23 June 2015
Case name
Barrie James Skinner v The Queen
Case number
SC 79/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to decline the application to adduce further evidence – Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against conviction.[2015] NZCA  233   CA 573/2012
Result
Leave to appeal is granted on the question whether s 109 of the Tax Administration Act 1994 precluded conviction on counts 101–110 (Rowley v R [2015] NZCA 233, (2015) 27 NZTC. In all other respects the applications for leave to appeal are dismissed save that, in the case of Mr Rowley’s challenge to his sentence, this is with the reservation identified in [23].
15 February 2016
______________
The appeals are dismissed.
10 August 2016
Transcripts
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
SKINNER and ROWLEY v R [2016] NZSC 7 [15 February 2016] (PDF, 155 KB)
Substantive judgment
BARRIE JAMES SKINNER v R [2016] NZSC 101 [10 August 2016] (PDF, 264 KB)
Case name
Shane James Old v The Queen
Case number
SC 83/2015
Summary
Criminal appeal – whether the Court of Appeal erred in its approach to evidential issues.[2015] NZCA  252   CA 739/2014
Result
The application for an extension of time within which to apply for leave to appeal is granted. The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 18 November 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SHANE JAMES OLD v R [2015] NZSC 175   18 November 2015 (PDF, 75 KB)
Judgment appealed from

OLD v R [2015] CA739/2014 NZCA 252     17 June 2015
Case name
Malcolm Edward Rabson v Transparency International New Zealand Incorporated
Case number
SC 85/2015
Summary
Civil Appeal – Court of Appeal (Civil) Rules 2005, r 43(2) – Whether the Court of Appeal should have granted the application for an extension of time.  CA 156/2015
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
16 October 2015
___________________________
Application for recall dismissed.
22 October 2015
Recall judgment
MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON v TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL NEW ZEALANDINCORPORATED [2015] NZSC 153   22 October 2015 (PDF, 66 KB)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON v TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL NEW ZEALANDINCORPORATED [2015] NZSC 145    16 October 2015 (PDF, 62 KB)
Case name
Morton v The Queen
Case number
SC 86/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against pre-trial ruling – Evidence Act 2006, s 49 – Appellant charged as party to offending when principals convicted in previous trial – Whether exceptional circumstances exist to direct that convictions are not conclusive evidence of principal offending.[2015] NZCA  322   CA 266/2015
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (M v R [2015] NZCA 322).B The approved question is:“Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation and application of ss 44 and 49 of the Evidence Act 2006”.
27 August 2015
_______________
A The appeal is allowed.
B Permission under s 49(2)(a) of the Evidence Act 2006 is given to the appellant to adduce evidence from himself and the co-defendants in which they may give their accounts of their interactions with the complainant on the night of the offending and as to the prior sexual relationship of one of the co-defendants with the complainant.
C Permission is refused in respect of the recantation and inconsistent conduct evidence and the evidence referred to in [74] (other than that identified in [77]).
D There is no direction under s 49(2)(b).
5 May 2016
Date of hearing
18 November 2015
Judges
Elias CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, Arnold, O’Regan JJ.
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Substantive judgment
RICHARD JAMES CAMERON MORTON v R [2016] NZSC 51 [5 May 2016 (PDF, 411 KB)
Case name
Janine Davina Sax v Luke Andrew Simpson
Case number
SC 90/2015
Summary
Civil Appeal – Court of Appeal (Civil) Rules 2005, r 43 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s application for an extension of time to file the case on appeal.    [2015] NZCA 362      CA 112/2015
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.  No order as to costs.
15 October 2015
____________________
Application for recall dismissed
22 October 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JANINE DAVINA SAX v LUKE ANDREW SIMPSON [2015] NZSC 144   15 October 2015 (PDF, 84 KB)
Recall judgment
JANINE DAVINA SAX v LUKE ANDREW SIMPSON [2015] NZSC 152  22 October 2015 (PDF, 121 KB)
Judgment appealed from

SAX v SIMPSON CA112/2015 [2015] NZCA 362    10 August 2015
Case name
Toni Maree Miller v The Queen
Case number
SC 91/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the allegation of conspiracy made by counsel for a co-accused resulted in a miscarriage of justice.[2015] NZCA 312     CA 364/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
4 November 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TONI MAREE MILLER v R [2015] NZSC 165   4 November 2015 (PDF, 92 KB)
Judgment appealed from

JONES v R CA362/2014 [2015] NZCA 312 [20 July 2015]
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