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.
16 September 2024
Case information summary 2024 (as at 13 September 2024) – Cases where leave granted (122 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 13 September 2024) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 124 KB)
All years
Case name
Strathboss Kiwifruit Limited & Seeka Limited v Attorney-General
Case number
SC 30/2020
Summary
Civil appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Attorney General v Strathboss Kiwifruit Ltd [2020] NZCA 98).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and dismiss the cross appeal.
22 July 2020
___________________________________________________
A Notice of Abandonment having been filed, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
16 February 2021
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal and dismiss the cross appeal.
22 July 2020
___________________________________________________
A Notice of Abandonment having been filed, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
16 February 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
[2020] NZSC 68 (PDF, 138 KB)
Case name
Taite Hemi Kupa v The Queen
Case number
SC 31/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for an extension of time to file an application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
10 July 2020
10 July 2020
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TAITE HEMI KUPA v R [2020] NZSC 64 [10 July 2020] (PDF, 151 KB)
Case name
Peter William Mawhinney v The Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 32/2020
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.
11 August 2020
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
11 August 2020
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
S v The Queen
Case number
SC 33/2020
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.
19 June 2020
19 June 2020
Case name
A v The Queen
Case number
SC 35/2020
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.
12 June 2020
12 June 2020
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Sainey Marong v The Queen
Case number
SC 36/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
24 November 2020
24 November 2020
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SAINEY MARONG v R [2020] NZSC 133 [24 November 2020] (PDF, 41 KB)
Case name
Commissioner of Inland Revenue v The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Trust Board and Paul Ross Coward
Case number
SC 38/2020
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 $4,500 plus usual disbursements.
30 September 2020
B The applicant must pay costs of $4,500 plus usual disbursements.
30 September 2020
Date of hearing
15 September 2020
Judges
O'Regan, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 15 September 2020 (PDF, 255 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
C v The Queen
Case number
SC 39/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
28 August 2020
28 August 2020
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
William Allan Berkland v The King
Case number
SC 40/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Berkland v R [2020] NZCA 150)
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal's decision was correct.
17 November 2020
___________________________________________________________
A Mr Berkland’s appeal in SC 40/2020 is allowed. His sentence of 12 years and nine months’ imprisonment, together with a 50 per cent MPI, is quashed, and a sentence of eight years and eight months’ imprisonment is substituted.
B Mr Harding’s appeal in SC 64/2020 is allowed. His sentence of 28 and a half years is quashed, and a new sentence of 21 years is substituted. There is no adjustment to the MPI.
7 December 2022
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal's decision was correct.
17 November 2020
___________________________________________________________
A Mr Berkland’s appeal in SC 40/2020 is allowed. His sentence of 12 years and nine months’ imprisonment, together with a 50 per cent MPI, is quashed, and a sentence of eight years and eight months’ imprisonment is substituted.
B Mr Harding’s appeal in SC 64/2020 is allowed. His sentence of 28 and a half years is quashed, and a new sentence of 21 years is substituted. There is no adjustment to the MPI.
7 December 2022
Date of hearing
23 March 2021
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 23 - 24 March 2021 (PDF, 799 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 23 March 2021 (PDF, 288 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2022] NZSC 143 (PDF, 261 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Michael Main v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 41/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
12 June 2020
12 June 2020
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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