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
Seng Bou (Paul) Keung v The Official Assignee and Westpac New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 41/2021
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.
7 July 2021
B There is no order as to costs.
7 July 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Maninder Singh v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 42/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application to adduce evidence in support of the application is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
2 July 2021
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
2 July 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
F v W and L
Case number
SC 43/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed
B The applicants (F and W) must pay L costs of $2500.00
21 June 2021
B The applicants (F and W) must pay L costs of $2500.00
21 June 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Darryn Michael Horton v The Queen
Case number
SC 44/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
12 August 2021
12 August 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
W v L
Case number
SC 45/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed
B The applicants (F and W) must pay L costs of $2500.00
21 June 2021
B The applicants (F and W) must pay L costs of $2500.00
21 June 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
P (SC 46/2021) v Commissioner of Inland Revenue, W (SC 40/2021) and Attorney General
Case number
SC 46/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
28 May 2021
28 May 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kim Dotcom v United States of America and District Court at North Shore
Case number
SC 47/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an order that, pending determination of the applicant’s application for leave to appeal to this Court, the hearing in the Court of Appeal on 6 May 2021 be adjourned until after the determination of the application for leave to appeal (and the appeal, if leave is granted) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
4 May 2021
B There is no order as to costs.
4 May 2021
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Richard Ciliang Yan v Mainzeal Property and Construction Limited (in Liquidation) And Ors
Case number
SC 48/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal and Cross Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Yan v Mainzeal Property and Construction Ltd (in liq) [2021] NZCA 99).
B Leave to cross appeal is granted.
6 September 2021
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A The appeals by the directors are dismissed.
B The cross-appeal by the liquidators is allowed to the extent that in lieu of the remittal of the proceedings back to the High Court, we order the directors to contribute to the assets of Mainzeal $39.8 million together with interest at prescribed rates since 28 February 2013 with the liabilities of Dame Jennifer Shipley and Messrs Tilby and Gomm each limited to $6.6 million and interest.
C The directors are to pay costs in the sum of $65,000 together with reasonable disbursements.
25 August 2023
B Leave to cross appeal is granted.
6 September 2021
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A The appeals by the directors are dismissed.
B The cross-appeal by the liquidators is allowed to the extent that in lieu of the remittal of the proceedings back to the High Court, we order the directors to contribute to the assets of Mainzeal $39.8 million together with interest at prescribed rates since 28 February 2013 with the liabilities of Dame Jennifer Shipley and Messrs Tilby and Gomm each limited to $6.6 million and interest.
C The directors are to pay costs in the sum of $65,000 together with reasonable disbursements.
25 August 2023
Date of hearing
07 March 2022
- 11 March 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan and Ellen France JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 7 - 11 March 2022 (PDF, 2 MB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing Mon 7 March - Fri 11 March 2022 (PDF, 436 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 113 (PDF, 342 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
H (SC 49/2021) v The Queen
Case number
SC 49/2021
Summary
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 permitted.
Result
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. PUBLICATION IN LAW REPORT OR LAW DIGEST PERMITTED.
Date of hearing
15 November 2021
Judges
William Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France and Williams JJ
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Donna Mary Newlands v Nelson City Council
Case number
SC 50/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
12 August 2021
12 August 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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