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
Malcolm Edward Rabson v Wayne Seymour Chapman
Case number
SC 135/2015
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in failing to recall its earlier judgment.[2014] NZCA 158 CA 855/2012
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 23 February 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Robert Craig Winterburn v The Queen
Case number
SC 136/2015
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that conviction of the applicant on some charges was not unreasonably inconsistent with acquittal on other charges – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by relying on previous warnings about an indeterminate sentence in imposing a sentence of preventive detention. [2015] NZCA 384 CA 587/2014; CA 598/2014
Result
A An extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
15 April 2016
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
15 April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Matthew John Young v The District Court at Hamilton
Case number
SC 137/2015
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining to give name suppression to the applicant. [2015] NZCA 584 CA 643/2015
Result
The application for interim order suppressing publication of the applicant’s name is dismissed.
16 December 2015
____________________
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
3 May 2017
16 December 2015
____________________
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
3 May 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Supreme court decision
Case name
Jeremy James McGuire v Wellington Standards Committee (No 1) and The Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal
Case number
SC 138/2015
Summary
Civil Appeal – Lawyers and Conveyances Act (Disciplinary Tribunal) Regulations 2008 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding the Wellington Standards Committee had jurisdiction to amend the charges against the appellant during the disciplinary hearing – Whether the unsatisfactory conduct charge was invalid – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the High Court’s order on costs and disbursements.[2015] NZCA 569 CA 26/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
Costs of $2,500 are payable to the First Respondent.
15 February 2016
_________________________________________________
Application for recall dismissed.
Costs $250.00 payable to the first respondent.
6 April 2016
_____________________________________
2nd application for recall dismissed. (direction)
12 April 2016
Costs of $2,500 are payable to the First Respondent.
15 February 2016
_________________________________________________
Application for recall dismissed.
Costs $250.00 payable to the first respondent.
6 April 2016
_____________________________________
2nd application for recall dismissed. (direction)
12 April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Richard John Creser v Janine Michelle Creser and others
Case number
SC 139/2015
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal decision was tainted by bias or predetermination.[2015] NZCA 579 CA 193/2003
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order for costs.
13 April 2016
B There is no order for costs.
13 April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
T v The Queen
Case number
SC 140/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction – Evidence Act 2006, s 122 – Whether Trial Judge failed to give adequate directions in relation to reliability of propensity evidence – Whether Trial Judge failed to give adequate directions in relation to the prosecutor’s closing address. [2015] NZCA 572 CA 117/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 June 2016
20 June 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
T(SC 140/2015) v R [2016] NZSC 71 20 June 2016 (PDF, 81 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
JCS Cost Management Ltd and Stephen Roy Johnston v QBE Insurance (International) Ltd
Case number
SC 141/2015
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its approach to interpreting the insurance policy.[2015] NZCA 524 CA 698/20014
Result
Leave to appeal JCS Cost Management Ltd v QBE Insurance (International) Ltd [2015] NZCA 524 is granted. The approved question is whether the majority in the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the putative liability did not arise out of conduct that occurred in connection with the insured’s Professional Business Practice.
4 April 2016
_____________
Notice of abandonment of appeal being lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
25 May 2016
4 April 2016
_____________
Notice of abandonment of appeal being lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
25 May 2016
Leave judgment - leave granted
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Peter Gerard Stockman v New Zealand Association of Counsellors Incorporated
Case number
SC 1/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Security for costs – Court of Appeal (Civil) Rules 2005, r 35(6)(c) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the Registrar’s decision not to dispense with security for costs because the purpose of the appeal was to challenge a rule that unjustly discriminates against the poor and underprivileged and because the “pro forma” respondent need not appear on the appeal and incur any costs for which security is required[2013] NZCA 647 CA 665/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
Cost to the respondents $2,500.00
6 May 2014
_________________
Application for recall of judgment dismissed.
14 May 2014
_____________________
2nd application for recall of judgment declined.
17 June 2014
Cost to the respondents $2,500.00
6 May 2014
_________________
Application for recall of judgment dismissed.
14 May 2014
_____________________
2nd application for recall of judgment declined.
17 June 2014
Recall judgment
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Paki Hoani Taiatini v The Queen
Case number
SC 2/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 25 – Whether or not the Court of Appeal erred in its conclusion that the evidence from the complainant’ s mother was not expert evidence.[2013] NZCA 593 CA 100/2013
Result
The application for leave to appeal is granted.
The approved questions are:
Was the evidence of the complainant’s mother and her boyfriend admissible in terms of the veracity or propensity provisions of the Evidence Act 2006?
If the evidence was admissible:
should there have been a direction from the trial judge as to the use that could be made of the evidence?
was Mr Taiatini placed at any disadvantage from the fact that the evidence arose in the course of the trial?
If the evidence was not admissible, did its admission and/or the absence of a direction from the trial judge create the risk of a miscarriage of justice?
25 March 2014
__________
Appeal dismissed.
5 September 2014
The approved questions are:
Was the evidence of the complainant’s mother and her boyfriend admissible in terms of the veracity or propensity provisions of the Evidence Act 2006?
If the evidence was admissible:
should there have been a direction from the trial judge as to the use that could be made of the evidence?
was Mr Taiatini placed at any disadvantage from the fact that the evidence arose in the course of the trial?
If the evidence was not admissible, did its admission and/or the absence of a direction from the trial judge create the risk of a miscarriage of justice?
25 March 2014
__________
Appeal dismissed.
5 September 2014
Transcripts
- Hearing date 19 June 2014 (PDF, 313 KB)
Media Releases
- sc 2 2014 taiatini v r media release (PDF, 86 KB)
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Graham Edward McCready v ABC and another
Case number
SC 3/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in refusing to dispense with security for costs.[2013] NZCA 646 CA 698/2013
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 together with disbursements to be fixed, if necessary, by the Registrar. 9 June 2014
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 together with disbursements to be fixed, if necessary, by the Registrar. 9 June 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
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