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.
8 November 2024
Case information summary 2024 (as at 8 November 2024) – Cases where leave granted (126 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 8 November 2024) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 116 KB)
2021
Case name
Phillip John Smith v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 1/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
21 April 2021
B There is no order as to costs.
21 April 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Douglas Roy Andrews v The Queen
Case number
SC 2/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed
7 April 2021
7 April 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Qiufen Lu and Liansen Mao v Industrial and Commerical Bank of China (New Zealand) Limited and Qian Hou
Case number
SC 3/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the first respondent costs of $2,500.
15 April 2021
B The applicants must pay the first respondent costs of $2,500.
15 April 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Jeremy James McGuire v Secretary for Justice
Case number
SC 4/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
18 March 2021
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
18 March 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Donglin Deng v Lu Zheng
Case number
SC 5/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Zheng v Deng [2020] NZCA 614).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to make a declaration that there was a partnership between Mr Zheng and Mr Deng in which they were equal partners and to make orders that were consequential on that finding.
14 May 2021
_________________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Mr Deng must pay Mr Zheng costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements (including travelling expenses for two counsel), to be fixed by the Registrar if necessary.
20 June 2022
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to make a declaration that there was a partnership between Mr Zheng and Mr Deng in which they were equal partners and to make orders that were consequential on that finding.
14 May 2021
_________________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Mr Deng must pay Mr Zheng costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements (including travelling expenses for two counsel), to be fixed by the Registrar if necessary.
20 June 2022
Date of hearing
17 August 2021
Judges
William Young, Glazebrook, O’Regan, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 17 August 2021 (PDF, 553 KB)
Media Releases
- MR 2022 NZSC 76 (PDF, 334 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
DONGLIN DENG v LU ZHENG [2021] NZSC 43 [14 May 2021] (PDF, 200 KB)
Substantive judgment
DONGLIN DENG v LU ZHENG [2022] NZSC 76 [20 June 2022] (PDF, 503 KB)
Case name
Eric Meserve Houghton v Timothy Ernest Corbett Saunders And Ors
Case number
SC 6/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the first respondents collectively and a total of $2,500 to the second and third respondents.
6 May 2021
____________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 6 May 2021 (Houghton v Saunders [2021] NZSC 38) is dismissed.
B The application for leave to file a second application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The application for a stay of the respondents’ application for costs in the High Court is dismissed.
D Costs are reserved.
2 July 2021
____________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s recall judgment of 2 July 2021 (Houghton v Saunders [2021] NZSC 76) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
28 July 2021
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the first respondents collectively and a total of $2,500 to the second and third respondents.
6 May 2021
____________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 6 May 2021 (Houghton v Saunders [2021] NZSC 38) is dismissed.
B The application for leave to file a second application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The application for a stay of the respondents’ application for costs in the High Court is dismissed.
D Costs are reserved.
2 July 2021
____________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s recall judgment of 2 July 2021 (Houghton v Saunders [2021] NZSC 76) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
28 July 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Recall judgment
HOUGHTON v SAUNDERS & ORS [2021] NZSC 92 [28 July 2021] (PDF, 174 KB)
Supreme court decision
Case name
Rajendra Prasad v Indiana Publications (NZ) Limited, Irene Lal, Venkat Ram, Mahesh Parera and Chenchu Nagulu
Case number
SC 7/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
16 February 2021
B There is no order as to costs.
16 February 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
A v The Queen
Case number
SC 8/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B 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 retrial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
3 June 2021
B 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 retrial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
3 June 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Te Warena Taua, George Hori Winikerei Taua, Ngarama Walker, Hamuera Taua and Miriama Tamaariki as Trustees of the Te Kaweray Iwi Tribal Authority and Te Warena Taua, George Hori Winikerei Taua, Ngarama Walker, Hamuera Taua and Miriama Tamaariki as Truste
Case number
SC 9/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Taua v Tahi Enterprises Ltd [2020] NZCA 639).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
15 July 2021
_____________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed to the extent that, by consent, the orders made in the High Court and the Court of Appeal granting discovery of the register of iwi members are set aside and the other orders set out below at [16] are substituted.
B Leave is reserved to the parties and any member of the iwi to apply to the High Court for modifications of these orders. The High Court may make such orders, including any additional or ancillary orders.
C There is no order as to costs in this Court. The costs orders made in the Court of Appeal on the appeal in that Court in favour of the respondents are set aside. The respondents must pay the appellants costs in that Court calculated for a standard appeal on a band A basis and usual disbursements. The costs orders made in the High Court stand.
15 December 2021
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
15 July 2021
_____________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed to the extent that, by consent, the orders made in the High Court and the Court of Appeal granting discovery of the register of iwi members are set aside and the other orders set out below at [16] are substituted.
B Leave is reserved to the parties and any member of the iwi to apply to the High Court for modifications of these orders. The High Court may make such orders, including any additional or ancillary orders.
C There is no order as to costs in this Court. The costs orders made in the Court of Appeal on the appeal in that Court in favour of the respondents are set aside. The respondents must pay the appellants costs in that Court calculated for a standard appeal on a band A basis and usual disbursements. The costs orders made in the High Court stand.
15 December 2021
Date of hearing
19 November 2021
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France, Williams JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 18 May 2021 (PDF, 202 KB)
- Hearing date 19 November 2021 (PDF, 279 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Supreme court decision
Case name
Katharine Elizabeth Preston v Grant Lee Preston and Grant Lee Preston and Fisher Partners Limited as Trustees of the Grant Preston Family Trust
Case number
SC 10/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Preston v Preston [2020] NZCA 679).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss Ms Preston’s appeal in relation to her claim for an award of part of the assets of the Grant Preston Family Trust under s 182 of the Family Proceedings Act 1980.
12 May 2021
____________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B Orders are made that the Grant Preston Family Trust pay the Huntbos Family Trust $141,000 and release any claim to the $192,000 of the funds held on joint account (the Grant Preston Family Trust share of these funds is $102,000 and the Huntbos Family Trust share is $90,000).
C The Grant Preston Family Trust deed is amended by removing the appellant as a discretionary beneficiary.
D Leave is reserved to the parties to seek further directions or orders that may be necessary to give effect to this judgment.
E The first respondent must pay the appellant costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements. We certify for second counsel. Unless the parties can agree, costs in the Courts below are to be redetermined in those Courts in accordance with this judgment.
9 November 2021
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss Ms Preston’s appeal in relation to her claim for an award of part of the assets of the Grant Preston Family Trust under s 182 of the Family Proceedings Act 1980.
12 May 2021
____________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B Orders are made that the Grant Preston Family Trust pay the Huntbos Family Trust $141,000 and release any claim to the $192,000 of the funds held on joint account (the Grant Preston Family Trust share of these funds is $102,000 and the Huntbos Family Trust share is $90,000).
C The Grant Preston Family Trust deed is amended by removing the appellant as a discretionary beneficiary.
D Leave is reserved to the parties to seek further directions or orders that may be necessary to give effect to this judgment.
E The first respondent must pay the appellant costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements. We certify for second counsel. Unless the parties can agree, costs in the Courts below are to be redetermined in those Courts in accordance with this judgment.
9 November 2021
Date of hearing
03 August 2021
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O’Regan, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 3 August 2021 (PDF, 444 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2021] NZSC 154 (PDF, 195 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
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