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.
11 July 2024
Case information summary 2024 (as at 5 July 2024) – Cases where leave granted (123 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 5 July 2024) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 126 KB)
All years
Case name
P v The King
Case number
SC 95/2023
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.
20 September 2023
20 September 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Ian James Burden, PGT Reclaimed (International) Limited and Plantation Grown Timbers (Vietnam) Limited v ESR Group (NZ) Limited
Case number
SC 96/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (ESR Group (NZ) Ltd v Burden [2023] NZCA 335).
B The approved questions are as follows:
(a) Was the Court of Appeal correct to conclude, for the purposes of s 9(1) of the Copyright Act 1994, that a copyright holder’s consent is not necessary for a work to be “in circulation”?
(b) Was the Court of Appeal correct to conclude, for the purposes of s 9(1) of the Copyright Act 1994, that circulation outside of New Zealand could constitute “circulation”?
7 December 2023
B The approved questions are as follows:
(a) Was the Court of Appeal correct to conclude, for the purposes of s 9(1) of the Copyright Act 1994, that a copyright holder’s consent is not necessary for a work to be “in circulation”?
(b) Was the Court of Appeal correct to conclude, for the purposes of s 9(1) of the Copyright Act 1994, that circulation outside of New Zealand could constitute “circulation”?
7 December 2023
Date of hearing
26 April 2024
Judges
Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams Kós and O'Regan JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 Appellants Submissions (PDF, 2.3 MB)
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 Appellants Chronology Fact (PDF, 194 KB)
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 Appellants Chronology WCT dates (PDF, 215 KB)
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 Appellants Roadmap (PDF, 177 KB)
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 Appellants Further Submissions (PDF, 279 KB)
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 Respondent submissions (PDF, 351 KB)
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 Respondent Roadmap (PDF, 225 KB)
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 Respondent Further Submissions (PDF, 870 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 (PDF, 471 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 26 April 2024 (PDF, 447 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Case name
Jasbir Balbir Singh v Auckland District Health Board
Case number
SC 97/2023
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.
17 November 2023
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
17 November 2023
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Tracey Jane Cridge and Mark Anthony Unwin and Katrina McKellar Fowler and Scott Woodhead v Studorp Limited and James Hardie New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 98/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for an extension of time to bring an application for leave to appeal
Result
A The application for extension of time for leave to appeal against Cridge v Studorp Ltd [2023] NZCA 365 is granted.
B Any application must be filed on or before 20 working days after the Court of Appeal’s judgment on the substantive appeal.
2 November 2023
B Any application must be filed on or before 20 working days after the Court of Appeal’s judgment on the substantive appeal.
2 November 2023
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Supreme court decision
Case name
Seafood New Zealand Limited v Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Incorporated, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries and Te Ohu Kai Moana Trustee Limited
Case number
SC 99/2023
Summary
Civil appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Fisheries Inshore New Zealand Ltd v Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc [2023] NZCA 359).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
24 November 2023
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
24 November 2023
Date of hearing
23 April 2024
- 24 April 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date 23 and 24 April 2024 Appellant submissions (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Hearing date 23 and 24 April 2024 Appellant chronology (PDF, 767 KB)
- Hearing date 23 and 24 April 2024 First Respondent submissions (PDF, 416 KB)
- Hearing date 23 and 24 April 2024 First Respondent Oral outline (PDF, 137 KB)
- Hearing date 23 and 24 April 2024 Second Respondent submissions (PDF, 602 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 23 April 2024 (PDF, 643 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 23 and 24 April 2024 (PDF, 366 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Videos
- SC 99/2023 Seafood NZ v Royal Forest and Bird (Recorded, 23 April 2024)
Case name
S v The King
Case number
SC 100/2023
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 September 2023
26 September 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Connor Sean Clayton Nevin v The King
Case number
SC 101/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
7 December 2023
7 December 2023
District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Manas Dharmendra Kumar v Smartpay Limited
Case number
SC 102/2023
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.
19 February 2024
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
19 February 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Wenyue He v Bank of New Zealand
Case number
SC 103/2023
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.
6 December 2023
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
6 December 2023
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Adam David Banks v William Robert Farmer, Simon Matthew Gamble, Christoper James Massam and Douglas Leroy Frederick
Case number
SC 104/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Date of hearing
25 July 2024
Judges
Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
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