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
R v The Queen
Case number
SC 119/2015
Summary
Criminal appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 43 – Whether propensity evidence was correctly admitted – Whether directions from the trial Judge were sufficient to cure the risk of unfairly prejudicial evidence affecting the jury’s verdicts.[2015] NZCA 394 CA 477/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
16 February 2016
16 February 2016
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Riley Campbell v The Queen
Case number
SC 121/2015
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the applicant’s interview with police was admissible – Whether cross-examination of the complainant on sexual matters should have been allowed[2014] NZCA 376 CA 378/2014 [2015] NZCA 452 CA 605/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
17 December 2015
17 December 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RILEY CAMPBELL v R [2015] NZSC 197 17 December 2015 (PDF, 85 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Christopher Roger King v The Queen
Case number
SC 123/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Sentencing Act 2002 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by declining to allow a sentence discount for the applicant’ s previous good character.[2015] NZCA 475 CA 19/2015
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 18 February 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Anthony Paul Mount v The Queen
Case number
SC 125/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against conviction. [2015] NZCA 489 CA 674/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
19 May 2016
19 May 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ANTHONY PAUL MOUNT v R [2016] NZSC 56 [19 May 2016] (PDF, 159 KB)
Case name
David Ingram Rowley v The Queen
Case number
SC 126/2015
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 572/2012
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 ¶22-011).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
15 February 2016
___________
The appeals are dismissed.
10 August 2016
Transcripts
- Hearing date 9 June 2016 (PDF, 456 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2016] NZSC 101 (PDF, 239 KB)
Leave judgment - leave granted
SKINNER and ROWLEY v R [2016] NZSC 7 [15 February 2016] (PDF, 155 KB)
Substantive judgment
Case name
K v The Queen
Case number
SC 133/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether a miscarriage of justice has arisen due to delay in bringing the matter to trial – Whether the trial Judge should have given a reliability warning under s 122 of the Evidence Act 2006 [2015] NZCA 566 CA 665/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
15 March 2016
15 March 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
K (SC 133/2015) v R [2016] NZSC 26 15 March 2016 (PDF, 73 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Deuce Derrick Junior Evo Savage v The Queen
Case number
SC 134/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction – Evidence Act 2006, s 126 – Whether verdict unreasonable – Whether Trial Judge failed to direct jury appropriately on requirements to establish guilt – Whether Trial Judge gave adequate identification warning.[2015] NZCA 550 CA 611/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 1 March 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Robert Craig Winterburn v The Queen
Case number
SC 136/2015
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that conviction of the applicant on some charges was not unreasonably inconsistent with acquittal on other charges – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by relying on previous warnings about an indeterminate sentence in imposing a sentence of preventive detention. [2015] NZCA 384 CA 587/2014; CA 598/2014
Result
A An extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
15 April 2016
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
15 April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
T v The Queen
Case number
SC 140/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction – Evidence Act 2006, s 122 – Whether Trial Judge failed to give adequate directions in relation to reliability of propensity evidence – Whether Trial Judge failed to give adequate directions in relation to the prosecutor’s closing address. [2015] NZCA 572 CA 117/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 June 2016
20 June 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
T(SC 140/2015) v R [2016] NZSC 71 20 June 2016 (PDF, 81 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Peter Gerard Stockman v New Zealand Association of Counsellors Incorporated
Case number
SC 1/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Security for costs – Court of Appeal (Civil) Rules 2005, r 35(6)(c) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the Registrar’s decision not to dispense with security for costs because the purpose of the appeal was to challenge a rule that unjustly discriminates against the poor and underprivileged and because the “pro forma” respondent need not appear on the appeal and incur any costs for which security is required[2013] NZCA 647 CA 665/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
Cost to the respondents $2,500.00
6 May 2014
_________________
Application for recall of judgment dismissed.
14 May 2014
_____________________
2nd application for recall of judgment declined.
17 June 2014
Cost to the respondents $2,500.00
6 May 2014
_________________
Application for recall of judgment dismissed.
14 May 2014
_____________________
2nd application for recall of judgment declined.
17 June 2014
Recall judgment
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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