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.
8 November 2024
Case information summary 2024 (as at 8 November 2024) – Cases where leave granted (126 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 8 November 2024) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 116 KB)
All years
Case name
Jia Wen Mao v Inno Capital No.4 Limited, Damien Grant and Steven Khov as Liquidators of Chen Hong Co Limited (in liquidation)
Case number
SC 100/2018
Summary
Civil Appeal – High Court Rules 2016, Part 31 – Companies Act 1993, s 250 – Termination of a liquidation order – Substitution of creditors – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the substitution order was made under r 31.24 of the High Court Rules.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the second respondent costs of $2,500.
26 February 2019
B The applicant must pay the second respondent costs of $2,500.
26 February 2019
Court of Appeal decision
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kim Dotcom v District Court at North Shore, Deputy Solicitor -General (Criminal) and Minister of Justice
Case number
SC 101/2018
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the decision of the High Court to strike out the causes of action for judicial review.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the fourth respondent.
14 March 2019
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the fourth respondent.
14 March 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Jesse-James Winter v The Queen
Case number
SC 102/2018
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing an appeal against conviction.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Winter v R [2018] NZCA 469).
B The approved ground of appeal is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
21 February 2019
B The approved ground of appeal is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
21 February 2019
Transcripts
- Hearing date 16 May 2019 (PDF, 388 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2019] NZSC 98 (PDF, 72 KB)
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Mina Crichton v Carolyn Green, Jane Reidl-Moss and Steve Culpan
Case number
SC 103/2018
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Deputy Registrar of the Court of Appeal was correct to refuse to accept the applicant’s application for extension of time for filing her appeal to that Court.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no award of costs.
20 December 2018
B There is no award of costs.
20 December 2018
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Allan John Titford v The Queen
Case number
SC 104/2018
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against conviction – Whether an extension of time to bring an application for leave to appeal should be granted.
Result
The application for an extension of time to file an application for leave to appeal is dismissed
5 March 2019
5 March 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ALLAN JOHN TITFORD v R [2019] NZSC 22 [5 March 2019] (PDF, 50 KB)
High Court/District Court judgment
not publicly available
Case name
Rangitira Developments Limited v Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Incorporated
Case number
SC 105/2018
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in quashing the declarations and orders made by the High Court
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc v Rangitira Developments Ltd [2018] NZCA 445).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was in error in setting aside the declarations made at [86] of the judgment of the High Court (Rangitira Developments Ltd v Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society Ltd [2018] NZHC 146, (2018) ELRNZ 312).
20 February 2019
________________________________________________________
A Leave to appeal is revoked.
B Costs of $6,000 plus usual disbursements are awarded to the respondent.
C Leave is reserved to apply again for leave to appeal if the proposed appeal is no longer moot.
26 July 2019
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was in error in setting aside the declarations made at [86] of the judgment of the High Court (Rangitira Developments Ltd v Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society Ltd [2018] NZHC 146, (2018) ELRNZ 312).
20 February 2019
________________________________________________________
A Leave to appeal is revoked.
B Costs of $6,000 plus usual disbursements are awarded to the respondent.
C Leave is reserved to apply again for leave to appeal if the proposed appeal is no longer moot.
26 July 2019
Transcripts
- Hearing date 8 July 2019 (PDF, 131 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2020] NZSC 66 (PDF, 125 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Supreme court decision
Substantive judgment
Case name
Christian John Gillibrand and Mary Caecilia Gillibrand (as trustees of The Chris and Mary Gillibrand family trust) v George Peter Swanepoel
Case number
SC 106/2018
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal against the admissibility of evidence under s 25 of the Evidence Act 2006.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the respondent.
21 February 2019
B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the respondent.
21 February 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Christopher Robert Halpin v The Queen
Case number
SC 107/2018
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against a decision declining his application to vacate his guilty pleas.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
21 February 2019
21 February 2019
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Gerardus Peter van Uden v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 108/2018
Summary
Civil Appeal – Income Tax Act 1994, s OE 1 – Meaning of “ permanent place of abode” –Taxation of income in New Zealand while working overseas – Whether the Court of Appeal was right to dismiss the applicant’s appeal against the High Court’s decision.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
19 March 2019
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
19 March 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
George Robert Jolley v The King
Case number
SC 109/2018
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the jury vetting process and other irregularities in the trial resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
1 April 2019
_________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 1 April 2019 (Jolley v R [2019] NZSC 34) is dismissed.
19 December 2022
1 April 2019
_________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 1 April 2019 (Jolley v R [2019] NZSC 34) is dismissed.
19 December 2022
Date of hearing
01 November 2022
Judges
Winkelman CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France and Kós JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 1 November 2022 Transcript (PDF, 303 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
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