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.
29 April 2024
Case information summary 2024 (as at 26 April 2024) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 26 April 2024) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 134 KB)
2022
Case name
Barry Bai and Caoping Ding v Thomas Edmund William James and Iain McLennan, Keaton Pronk and McDonald Vague Limited
Case number
SC 1/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay two sets of costs of $2,500, one to the first respondent and the other to the second respondents.
25 March 2022
_________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 25 March 2022 (Ding v James [2022] NZSC 28) is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal in SC 36/2022 is dismissed.
C There is no order as to costs.
11 May 2022
B The applicants must pay two sets of costs of $2,500, one to the first respondent and the other to the second respondents.
25 March 2022
_________________________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 25 March 2022 (Ding v James [2022] NZSC 28) is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal in SC 36/2022 is dismissed.
C There is no order as to costs.
11 May 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Todd Aaron Marteley v The Queen
Case number
SC 2/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application to recall judgment
Result
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 13 March 2017 (Marteley v R [2017] NZSC 31) is dismissed.
9 March 2022
9 March 2022
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Recall judgment
TODD AARON MARTELEY v R [2022] NZSC 21 [9 March 2022] (PDF, 211 KB)
Case name
Liyun Chen v Auckland Weihao Investment Limited
Case number
SC 3/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
17 March 2022
17 March 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Yingqiu Zhang v Westpac New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 4/2022
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.
31 March 2022
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
31 March 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Alexandra Johnston and Graham Wesley Johnston v Auckland Council
Case number
SC 5/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
6 April 2022
6 April 2022
District Court decision
Not publicly available
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Port Otago Limited v Environmental Defence Society Incorporated, Otago Regional Council, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Incorporated and Marlborough District Council
Case number
SC 6/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Port Otago Ltd v Environmental Defence Society Inc [2021] NZCA 638).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
17 March 2022
______________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The order remitting the matter to the Environment Court is set aside.
C The Otago Regional Council is directed to consult the parties and any other persons it considers appropriate on a redrafted policy 4.3.7(d)–(e) in the proposed Otago Regional Policy Statement either:
(a) along the lines in paragraph [87] of this judgment or to similar effect; or
(b) otherwise to give appropriate effect to the policies of the NZCPS and their inter-relationships.
D Costs are reserved.
24 August 2023
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
17 March 2022
______________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The order remitting the matter to the Environment Court is set aside.
C The Otago Regional Council is directed to consult the parties and any other persons it considers appropriate on a redrafted policy 4.3.7(d)–(e) in the proposed Otago Regional Policy Statement either:
(a) along the lines in paragraph [87] of this judgment or to similar effect; or
(b) otherwise to give appropriate effect to the policies of the NZCPS and their inter-relationships.
D Costs are reserved.
24 August 2023
Date of hearing
11 May 2022
- 12 May 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Appellant Port Otago submissions (PDF, 7.5 MB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Appellant Port Otago oral outline (PDF, 747 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 First Respondent EDS submissions (PDF, 861 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Second Respondent ORC submissions (PDF, 335 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Second Respondent ORC oral outline (PDF, 693 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Third Respondent FB submissions (PDF, 855 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Fourth Respondent MDC submissions (PDF, 998 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Interested Party FB submissions (PDF, 671 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Interested Party NZTA submissions (PDF, 997 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Interested Party NZTA oral outline (PDF, 1 MB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Interested Party Auckland Council submissions (PDF, 9.2 MB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Interested Party Mana Whenua Parties submissions (PDF, 815 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Interested Party Mana Whenua Parties oral outline (PDF, 650 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Interested Party Ngati Whatua Orakei submissions (PDF, 695 KB)
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 Interested Party Ngati Whatua Orakei oral outline (PDF, 705 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing 11 and 12 May 2022 (PDF, 867 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 11 and 12 May 2022 (PDF, 198 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 112 (PDF, 326 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Fiona Margaret Mead v Lilach Paul and Brett Paul
Case number
SC 7/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Paul v Mead) [2021] NZCA 649).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
22 March 2022
______________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellant must pay the first respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements.
20 June 2023
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
22 March 2022
______________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellant must pay the first respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements.
20 June 2023
Date of hearing
22 July 2022
Judges
Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date 22 July 2022 Appellant Submissions (PDF, 10 MB)
- Hearing date 22 July 2022 First Respondent submissions (PDF, 965 KB)
- Hearing date 22 July 2022 Second Respondent memorandum (PDF, 381 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 22 July 2022 (PDF, 498 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 22 July 2022 (PDF, 268 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 70 (PDF, 323 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Todd William Frank Sutton and Todd William Frank Sutton and Hoffman Trustees Limited as trustees of the Todd Sutton Trust v Joana Elisia Bell
Case number
SC 8/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Sutton v Bell [2021] NZCA 645).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
12 April 2022
________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellants must pay the respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements.
1 June 2023
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
12 April 2022
________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellants must pay the respondent costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements.
1 June 2023
Date of hearing
02 August 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France and Kós JJ
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 65 (PDF, 504 KB)
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
SUTTON v BELL [2023] NZSC 65 [1 June 2023] (PDF, 342 KB)
Case name
EA v Rennie Cox Lawyers
Case number
SC 9/2022
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.
4 April 2022
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
4 April 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
EA v RENNIE COX LAWYERS [2022] NZSC 37 [4 April 2022] (PDF, 182 KB)
Case name
Edward Powney Couper v The Queen
Case number
SC 10/2022
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.
14 April 2022
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
14 April 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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