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)

2023

Case name
James Hay Wallace and McLean's Mansion Charitable Trust v The King
Case number
SC 31/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A) The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B) Order continuing suppression of the applicants’ names, addresses, occupations and any identifying particulars on the terms set out at [15] until 2 pm on 28 June 2023.
Suppression will lapse at that time.
26 June 2023
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Raewyn Phyllis Cooper v Marcus Robert William Pinney
Case number
SC 32/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Cooper v Pinney [2023] NZCA 62).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the applicant’s appeal to that Court.
3 July 2023
Date of hearing
01 November 2023 - 02 November 2023
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Case name
David Charles Rae v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 33/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s recall judgment (Rae v Commissioner of Police [2023] NZCA 38) is dismissed.
B The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s substantive judgment (Rae v Commissioner of Police [2023] NZCA 4) is granted.
C Leave to appeal is granted.
D The appeal is dismissed.
E There is no order as to costs.
30 November 2023
Date of hearing
12 October 2023
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Williams and Kós JJ
Case name
Stephen Gilbert Anderson v NZI International Acceptances Limited, NZI Securities Limited and NZI Finances Limited
Case number
SC 34/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
31 May 2023
Case name
Jiaxin Tu v The King
Case number
SC 35/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
23 February 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Te Whānau a Kai Trust v Gisborne District Council
Case number
SC 36/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
29 June 2023
Case name
Jesse Shane Kempson v The King
Case number
SC 37/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed. 22 September 2023
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Estate of Eric John Tupai Ruru and Alan Parekura Torohina Haronga v Attorney-General, Waitangi Tribunal, Tanya Rogers and David Brown, Owen Lloyd, David Thomas Hawea and Anthony Tapp
Case number
SC 38/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the first respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
5 July 2023
Case name
Selaima Fakaosilea v The King
Case number
SC 39/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal (R v F [2018] NZHC 3377) is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal (Fakaosilea v R [2021] NZCA 401) is dismissed.
30 August 2023
Case name
N v The King
Case number
SC 40/2023
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 trial. 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 of trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
26 May 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available