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.
22 November 2024
Case information summary 2024 (as at 22 November 2024) – Cases where leave granted (126 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 22 November 2024) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 116 KB)
All years
Case name
P v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 16/2021
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 retrial. 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 retrial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Chesterfield Preschools Limited (In Liquidation) and Therese Anne Sisson v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 17/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The application for leave to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay costs of $3,000 to the Commissioner and $1,500 to Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) plus usual disbursements.
12 July 2021
_________________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 12 July 2021 (Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) v
Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2021] NZSC 83) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $500 to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.
8 October 2021
B The application for leave to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay costs of $3,000 to the Commissioner and $1,500 to Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) plus usual disbursements.
12 July 2021
_________________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 12 July 2021 (Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) v
Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2021] NZSC 83) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $500 to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.
8 October 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Chesterfield Preschools Limited (In Liquidation) and Therese Anne Sisson v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 18/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B The application for leave to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay costs of $3,000 to the Commissioner and $1,500 to Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) plus usual disbursements.
12 July 2021
_________________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 12 July 2021 (Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) v
Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2021] NZSC 83) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $500 to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.
8 October 2021
B The application for leave to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay costs of $3,000 to the Commissioner and $1,500 to Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) plus usual disbursements.
12 July 2021
_________________________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 12 July 2021 (Chesterfields Preschools Ltd (in liq) v
Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2021] NZSC 83) is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $500 to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue.
8 October 2021
Recall judgment
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Solicitor-General's Reference (No 1 of 2021)
Case number
SC 19/2021
Summary
Criminal appeal — Application for leave to refer a question of law
Result
A Notice of Abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to refer a question of law is deemed to be dismissed.
24 March 2021
24 March 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Phillip Barnes v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 20/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal — Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B We make an order continuing suppression of the applicant’s name, address, occupation and any identifying particulars until 2 pm on Tuesday 25 May 2021. Suppression will lapse at that time.
24 May 2021
B We make an order continuing suppression of the applicant’s name, address, occupation and any identifying particulars until 2 pm on Tuesday 25 May 2021. Suppression will lapse at that time.
24 May 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Robert Frank Terry v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 21/2021
Summary
Criminal appeal — Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
24 May 2021
24 May 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Liansen Mao v Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (New Zealand) Limited and Qian Hou
Case number
SC 22/2021
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 respondents costs of $2,500.
31 May 2021
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
31 May 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Steven Robertson v The Queen
Case number
SC 23/2021
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.
10 May 2021
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
10 May 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
STEVEN ROBERTSON v R [2021] NZSC 40 [10 May 2021] (PDF, 153 KB)
Case name
Yingqiu Zhang v Westpac New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 24/2021
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.
21 May 2021
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
21 May 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Incorporated v New Zealand Transport Agency
Case number
SC 25/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal to this Court is granted (Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc v New Zealand Transport Agency [2021] NZHC 390).
B The approved question is whether the High Court was correct to dismiss the appeal against the decision of the Board of Inquiry.
28 May 2021
__________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The matter is remitted to the Board of Inquiry for reconsideration in line with the terms of this judgment.
C Costs are reserved.
11 April 2024
__________________________________________________________
A The respondent must pay the appellant costs of $35,000 plus disbursements, to be fixed by the Registrar. We allow for second counsel.
B The High Court should now determine costs in that Court in light of this Court’s judgment allowing the appeal.
7 November 2024
B The approved question is whether the High Court was correct to dismiss the appeal against the decision of the Board of Inquiry.
28 May 2021
__________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The matter is remitted to the Board of Inquiry for reconsideration in line with the terms of this judgment.
C Costs are reserved.
11 April 2024
__________________________________________________________
A The respondent must pay the appellant costs of $35,000 plus disbursements, to be fixed by the Registrar. We allow for second counsel.
B The High Court should now determine costs in that Court in light of this Court’s judgment allowing the appeal.
7 November 2024
Date of hearing
16 November 2021
- 18 November 2021
Judges
CJ Winkelmann, Young, Glazebrook, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 16 - 18 November 2021 (PDF, 1.5 MB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 16 - 18 November (PDF, 425 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2024] NZSC 26 (PDF, 288 KB)
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Supreme Court - order made
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