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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.

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
Jesse Shane Kempson v The Queen
Case number
SC 111/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Additional document
K (SC 111/2020) v R [2020] NZSC 154 [18 December 2020] (PDF, 33 KB)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JESSE SHANE KEMPSON v R [2020] NZSC 158 [22 December 2020] (PDF, 178 KB)
Case name
H and P v The Queen
Case number
SC 112/2020
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.
01 March 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Fisilau Tapaevalu v The Queen
Case number
SC 113/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 March 2021
High Court decision
R v TAPAEVALU & TUFUI [2019] NZHC 1867 [2 August 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
FISILAU TAPAEVALU v R [2021] NZSC 26 [18 March 2021] (PDF, 158 KB)
Case name
Garry Nancarrow v The Queen
Case number
SC 114/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed
11 March 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GARRY NANCARROW v R [2021] NZSC 21 [11 March 2021] (PDF, 37 KB)
Case name
Rhys Richard Ngahiwi Warren v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 115/2020
Summary
Civil Appeal - Habeas Corpus - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
23 December 2020
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RHYS RICHARD NGAHIWI WARREN also known as TE RANGATIRA TANGATA WHENUA v CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2020] NZSC 161 [23 December 2020] (PDF, 124 KB)
Case name
Vincent Ross Siemer
Case number
SC 116/2020
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application to appoint an amicus curiae is declined.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.

1 March 2021
_______________________________________
Recall application dismissed
16 March 2021
________________________________________
This is an abuse of process. Recall application dismissed. The Registry is not to accept any further applications by way of challenge to the judgment of 1/3/21.
12 May 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
VINCENT ROSS SIEMER [2021] NZSC 12 [1 MARCH 2021] (PDF, 42 KB)
Case name
Fei He v The Queen
Case number
SC 117/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
25 March 2021
Court of Appeal decision
HE v R [2020] NZCA 591 [26 November 2020]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
FEI HE v R [2021] NZSC 29 [25 March 2021] (PDF, 143 KB)
Case name
SKP Incorporated v Auckland Council and Kennedy Point Boatharbour Limited
Case number
SC 118/2020
Summary
Civil 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.
C The applicant must pay costs of $1,750 to each of the respondents.
27 April 2021
___________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 27 April 2021 (SKP Inc v Auckland Council [2021] NZSC 35) is allowed only to make the correction identified at [5] below.
B The [2021] NZSC 35 judgment is reissued with this correction.
5 May 2021
_____________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 27 April 2021, reissued on 5 May 2021 (SKP Inc v Auckland Council [2021] NZSC 35), is dismissed.
19 May 2021
High Court decision
SKP INCORPORATED v AUCKLAND COUNCIL [2020] NZHC 1390 [19 June 2020]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SKP INCORPORATED v AUCKLAND COUNCIL [2021] NZSC 35 [27 April 2021] (PDF, 126 KB)
Recall judgment
SKP INCORPORATED v AUCKLAND COUNCIL [2021] NZSC 37 [5 May 2021] (PDF, 69 KB)
Recall judgment
SKP INCORPORATED v AUCKLAND COUNCIL [2021] NZSC 44 [19 May 2021] (PDF, 35 KB)
Case name
R (SC 1/2019) V The Queen
Case number
SC 1/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal against conviction.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (R (CA158/2018) v R [2018] NZCA 529.
B The approved ground of appeal is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
21 February 2019
_________________________
The appeal is dismissed.
16 August 2019
Transcripts
Media Releases
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
R (CA158/2018) v R [2018] NZCA 529 [27 November 2018]
Leave judgment - leave granted
R (SC 1/2019) v R [2019] NZSC 10 [21 February 2019] (PDF, 180 KB)
Substantive judgment
R (SC 1/2019) v R [2019] NZSC 87 [16 August 2019] (PDF, 127 KB)
Case name
Michael Main v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 2/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal against the decision of the Deputy Registrar to refuse the application for leave to appeal.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 18 February 2019
High Court decision
MAIN v POLICE [2018] NZHC 1828 [15 October 2018]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MAIN v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2019] NZSC 2 [18 February 2019] (PDF, 53 KB)
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