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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
N v The Queen
Case number
SC 53/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 30 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its conclusion that exclusion of improperly obtained evidence would be disproportionate to the impropriety. [2016] NZCA 148   CA440/2015
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed. 21 June 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
T (SC 52/2016) v R [2016] NZSC 76    21 June 2016 (PDF, 71 KB)
Judgment appealed from

[2016] NZCA 148   CA440/2015 not available
Case name
John Alfred Robinson v The Queen
Case number
SC 55/2016
Summary
Criminal appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 43(3)(e) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of the “collusion or suggestibility” criterion in assessing admissibility of propensity evidence under s 43.  [2016] NZCA 188   CA375/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
13 July 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JOHN ALFRED ROBINSON v R [2016] NZSC 86 [13 July 2016] (PDF, 75 KB)
Judgment appealed from

[2016] NZCA 188   CA375/2015 not available    _
Case name
Morris Burton Suckling v The Queen
Case number
SC 58/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of s 109 of the Tax Administration Act 1994 – Whether the District Court erred in failing to consider objections to the admissibility of propensity evidence. [2016] NZCA 187   CA468/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 July 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MORRIS BURTON SUCKLING v R [2016] NZSC 80    4 July 2016 (PDF, 78 KB)
Judgment appealed from

SUCKLING v R [2016] NZCA 187    10 May 2016
Case name
G v The Queen
Case number
SC 92/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 30 – Whether the Court of Appeal was wrong to hold that information obtained from a third party without a search warrant or production order is admissible as evidence in the applicant’ s trial. [2016] NZCA 390   CA161/2016
Result
Judgment released.
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.
4 May 2017
Judgment appealed from
[2016] NZCA 390   CA161/2016
Case name
S v The Queen
Case number
SC 119/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction – Customs and Excise Act 1996, s 151 – Evidence Act 2006, s 30 – Whether Court of Appeal erred in finding s 151 Customs and Excise Act authorised warrantless search – Whether Court of Appeal erred in not excluding evidence under s 30 Evidence Act.    [2016] NZCA 448   CA712/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.                              
22 December 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
S (SC 119/2016) v R [2016] NZSC 172    22 December 2016 (PDF, 73 KB)
Judgment appealed from

S (CA712/2015) v R [2016] NZCA 448  20 September 2016
Case name
Dominique Anita Reti v The Queen
Case number
SC 122/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 45 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that visual identification evidence identifying the applicant was properly admitted at trial.                                      [2016] NZCA 447   CA312/2016
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.                               21 December 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DOMINIQUE ANITA RETI v R [2016] NZSC 169  21 December 2016 (PDF, 92 KB)
Judgment appealed from 

RETI v R [2016] NZCA 447      19 September 2016
Case name
Ryan Warren Geary-Smart v The Queen
Case number
SC 139/2016
Summary
Criminal appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 62 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by requiring that further independent advice regarding the privilege against self‑incrimination be offered to a co-defendant – Whether the Court erred in refusing to grant leave to admit fresh evidence – Whether the Court erred by upholding the decision to admit propensity evidence – Whether the Court erred in upholding the sentence. [2016] NZCA 509   CA132/2015
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
3 March 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GEARY-SMART v R [2017] NZSC 23    3 March 2017 (PDF, 85 KB)
Judgment appealed from

CUMMINGS V R, RW GEARY-SMART V R AND JC GEARY-SMART V R [2016] NZCA 509 20 October 2016
 
Case name
Jacob Christopher Geary-Smart v The Queen
Case number
SC 140/2016
Summary
Criminal appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 62 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by requiring that further independent advice regarding the privilege against self‑incrimination be offered to a co-defendant – Whether the Court erred in refusing to grant leave to admit fresh evidence – Whether the Court erred by upholding the decision to admit propensity evidence – Whether the Court erred in upholding the sentence. [2016] NZCA 509   CA134/2015
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.                           3 March 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GEARY-SMART v R [2017] NZSC 23    3 March 2017 (PDF, 85 KB)
Judgment appealed from

CUMMINGS V R, RW GEARY-SMART V R AND JC GEARY-SMART V R [2016] NZCA 509  20 October 2016

Case name
H v The Queen
Case number
SC 146/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 35 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that evidence of the complainant’s prior consistent statement was properly admitted at trial – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against sentence. [2016] NZCA 413   CA498/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 18 August 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SAYED REZA HUSSAINI v R [2017] NZSC 122 [18 August 2017] (PDF, 82 KB)
Case name
Kamal Singh v The Queen
Case number
SC 153/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 44 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of s 44. CA 197/2016  [2016] NZCA 552
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
24 March 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
KAMAL SINGH v R [2017] NZSC 37 [24 March 2017] (PDF, 89 KB)
Judgment appealed from

SINGH v R [2016] NZCA 552   25 November 2016
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