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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.

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
Michael John Denney v The Queen
Case number
SC 83/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 9 June 2017 (Denney v R [2017] NZSC 85) is dismissed.
22 December 2020
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
DENNEY v R [2017] NZCA 80 [27 March 2017]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MICHAEL JOHN DENNEY v R [2020] NZSC 159 [22 December 2020] (PDF, 49 KB)
Case name
Christopher Joseph O'Neill v Andrew Bridgman, Tania Ott and Carl Crafar
Case number
SC 84/2020
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 first, second and third respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
18 December 2020
High Court decision
O’NEILL v BRIDGMAN [2019] NZHC 944 [1 May 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
O’NEILL v BRIDGMAN [2020] NZCA 460 [30 September 2020]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH O’NEILL v ANDREW BRIDGMAN [2020] NZSC 148 [18 December 2020] (PDF, 38 KB)
Case name
Xiang Su v The Queen
Case number
SC 85/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is dismissed.
22 December 2020
High Court decision
R v SU [2017] NZHC 1147 [30 May 2017]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
XIANG SU v R [2020] NZSC 156 [22 December 2020] (PDF, 49 KB)
Court of Appeal decision
Xiang Su v The Queen [2020] NZCA 128
Case name
Margaret Ann Wootton v Phillip Garry Wootton
Case number
SC 86/2020
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for a stay pending determination of the applicant’s application for leave to appeal to this Court against the judgment of the Court of Appeal (Wootton v Wootton [2020] NZCA 478) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
29 October 2020
______________________________

A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
11 December 2020
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
WOOTTON v WOOTTON [2020] NZCA 478 [5 October 2020]
Additional document
Appplication for stay pending determination (PDF, 45 KB)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
WOOTTON v WOOTTON [2020] NZSC 142 [11 December 2020] (PDF, 45 KB)
Case name
Robert Frank Terry v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 87/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 December 2020
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TERRY v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2020] NZSC 149 [18 December 2020] (PDF, 38 KB)
Case name
Te Iwi Ngaro Rameka v The Queen
Case number
SC 88/2020
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring civil appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
10 December 2020
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TE IWI NGARO RAMEKA v R [2020] NZSC 140 [10 December 2020] (PDF, 38 KB)
Case name
Daniel Paul Van Houten v R
Case number
SC 89/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring a pre-trial 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 trial. Publication in a
law report or digest is permitted.
10 November 2020
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DANIEL PAUL VAN HOUTEN v R [2020] NZSC 121 [10 November 2020] (PDF, 158 KB)
Case name
P v The Queen
Case number
SC 90/2020
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 is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
8 December 2020
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
P (CA470/2017) v R [2020] NZCA 304 [23 July 2020]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
P (SC 90/2020) v R [2020] NZSC 138 [8 December 2020] (PDF, 48 KB)
Case name
W v S, H L and L
Case number
SC 91/2020
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 rmetrial. 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 rmetrial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted. 26 November 2020
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Commissioner of Inland Revenue v Frucor Suntory New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 92/2020
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal (SC 81/2020) against the Court of Appeal’s decision is granted (Commissioner of Inland Revenue v Frucor Suntory New Zealand Limited [2020] NZCA 383).
B The approved ground of appeal is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
C The application for leave to appeal (SC 92/2020) against the Court of Appeal’s decision is granted (Commissioner of Inland Revenue v Frucor Suntory New Zealand Limited [2020] NZCA 383).
D The approved ground of appeal is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to hold that shortfall penalties do not apply.
18 December 2020
____________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The cross-appeal is allowed with the result that the appellant’s challenge to shortfall penalties is dismissed.
C The appellant must pay the respondent costs of $45,000 plus usual disbursements.
30 September 2022
Date of hearing
08 June 2021 - 10 June 2021
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan and Ellen France JJ
Case Synopses
Media Releases
High Court decision
FRUCOR SUNTORY NEW ZEALAND LIMITED v COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE [2018] NZHC 2860 [5 November 2018]
Court of Appeal decision
COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE v FRUCOR SUNTORY NEW ZEALAND LIMITED [2020] NZCA 383 [3 September 2020]
Leave judgment - leave granted
FRUCOR SUNTORY NEW ZEALAND LIMITED v COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE [2020] NZSC 150 [18 December 2020] (PDF, 34 KB)
Substantive judgment
FRUCOR SUNTORY NEW ZEALAND LIMITED v COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE [2022] NZSC 113 [30 September 2022] (PDF, 869 KB)
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