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.

24 June 2024

Case information summary 2024 (as at 21 June 2024) –  Cases where leave granted (121 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 21 June 2024)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 125 KB)

All years

Case name
Timothy Graeme Little v New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa
Case number
SC 40/2022
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.
23 June 2022
___________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 23 June 2022 (Little v New Zealand Law Society [2022] NZSC 78) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
26 August 2022
Case name
C (SC 41/2022) v The Queen
Case number
SC 41/2022
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.
15 June 2022
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Maui Warahi v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 42/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Habeas Corpus- Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
17 June 2022
Case name
Aston-Edward William Earnest Wedgwood v The King
Case number
SC 43/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Case name
Toko Shane Rei Winter v The Queen
Case number
SC 44/2022
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
6 September 2022
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Paul Elvis Rawiri McLean v The Queen
Case number
SC 45/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
12 August 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kerryn Mitchell v The Queen
Case number
SC 46/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
21 July 2022
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Dwayne Douglas Keats v The King
Case number
SC 47/2022
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.
15 November 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Michael Shane Henry Lihou v The Queen
Case number
SC 48/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal against sentence is dismissed.
10 June 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Robert James Cummins v Body Corporate 172108
Case number
SC 49/2022
Summary
Civil / Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
10 August 2022