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.
5 June 2026
Case information summary (as at 5 June 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 5 June 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 124 KB)
All years
Case name
Alan Ivo Greer v The Queen
Case number
SC 51/2006
Summary
Criminal appeal – Bail Act 2000 - whether Court of Appeal erred in refusing application for bail pending hearing of appeals from convictions on driving and sexual offences – whether bail is necessary to obtain a fair hearing of the appeals. CA 161/03 CA 179/06 15 June 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
26 September 2006
26 September 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GREER V R SC 51/2006 [26 September 2006] (PDF, 21 KB)
Case name
James Charles Morris Parlane v Waipa District Council
Case number
SC 53/2006
Summary
Criminal – third appeal against conviction and sentence – breaches of fire control bylaw – reference in bylaw to incinerator standard “withdrawn” by Standards New Zealand before bylaw passed – whether this reference invalidated part or whole of bylaw or took applicant outside its reach – severability of subparagraph including reference – whether Court of Appeal wrong to hold that a local authority may consider a revoked standard to be appropriate for its practical purposes – Court of Appeal emphasised that applicant has brought separate public law proceedings seeking quashing of bylaw – whether Court of Appeal wrong to conclude that severance of subparagraph by High Court, whether or not appropriate, unnecessary because bylaw valid on evidence before it – applicant also seeking reversal of costs order in District Court under Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967. CA 319/05 6 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed, with costs of $1,000 to the respondent.
19 September 2006
19 September 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Arshad Mahmodd Chatha v The Queen
Case number
SC 56/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against convictions and sentence – fair trial – whether search and seizure giving rise to theft charges was illegal and unreasonable – whether District Court Judge could be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt on those charges – whether sentence of community work properly available – competence of counsel in District Court – alleged predetermination and bias in High Court – whether applicant given adequate opportunity to put his case in High Court and Court of Appeal.CRI 2005 454 22 1 July 2005
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
29 August 2006
29 August 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CHATHA v R SC 56/2006 [29 August 2006] (PDF, 84 KB)
Case name
Frank Louis Miessen v The Queen
Case number
SC 59/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction for threatening to kill – former police officer threatening to kill the Prime Minister – whether verdict unreasonable and cannot be supported having regard to the evidence – whether Crown counsel’s opening statement improper – whether counsel error in failing to call evidence or put substantial defence – admissibility of evidence – whether defendant detained by police – whether police gave defendant adequate Bill of Rights advice and caution. CA 222/05 6 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
26 September 2006
26 September 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MIESSEN V R SC 59/2006 [26 September 2006] (PDF, 15 KB)
Case name
Keith Hugh Nicholas Berryman and Margaret Berryman v The New Zealand Defence Force
Case number
SC 62/2006
Summary
Civil – costs award – whether Court of Appeal erred in finding an allegation of misconduct against a non-party was irrelevant to a costs order – allegation against armed forces of negligence in the construction of the applicants’ bridge – allegation that armed forces have abused the process of the Court – applicants held not to be entitled to documents sought in application for non-party discovery – costs principles. CA 95/05 13 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
31 October 2006
31 October 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Steven Samuels v The Proprietors of Matauri X Incorporation
Case number
SC 63/2006
Summary
Civil – Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 – direct appeal from Maori Appellate Court – validity of shareholders’ resolution to amend objects and powers of Incorporation to empower it to give effect to settlement with creditors – existence of mandate and validity of constitution of Incorporation – whether notice of shareholders’ meeting to non shareholder owners, their whanau and hapu required – whether Maori Appellate Court erred in finding that “implied demand” for poll voting process by any 5 persons present at meeting sufficient for compliance with s 275(5) . Maori Appellate Court - Appeal 2006/6 20 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
18 October 2006
18 October 2006
Substantive judgment
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Tania Joy Lamb v Massey University
Case number
SC 64/2006
Summary
Civil –judicial review of decisions in respect of appellant’ s training for primary teaching – allegation that conduct of respondent and High Court Judge impacted negatively on case – whether High Court failed to take into account relevant material – whether breach of natural justice by the respondent in excluding the applicant from study.High Court Palmerston North 19 October 2004
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
18 October 2006
18 October 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Darryl Shane Wilson v The Queen
Case number
SC 66/2006
Summary
Criminal appeal – appeal against sentence – whether application of sentencing guidelines in R v Taueki [2005] 3 NZLR 372 to offending which took place before the issue of that decision is contrary to the prohibition on retrospective increases in penalty in s 25(g) of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, s 6(1) of the Sentencing Act 2002, various international covenants, and/or good sentencing practice/fairness.CA 334/05 31 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
18 October 2006
18 October 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
WILSON V R SC 66/2006 [18 October 2006] (PDF, 19 KB)
Case name
Michael Frank Templeton v The Queen
Case number
SC 73/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction and sentence – party to firearms offences – counsel incompetence – whether trial counsel misled or pressured applicant into not giving evidence – whether applicant fit to stand trial – whether sentence manifestly excessive. CA 460/05 6 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
16 February 2007
16 February 2007
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TEMPLETON v R SC 73/2006 [16 February 2007] (PDF, 15 KB)
Case name
Paul Bicknell v Tauranga District Court
Case number
SC 77/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal from decision in case stated proceeding – private prosecution by applicant for the alleged theft of dairy cattle in 1994 – whether District Court Judge erred in failing to issue warrants for the arrest of three witnesses at trial – District Court Judge found he did not have the power to issue a warrant as no Notice of Summons had been served on the witnesses under s 181(3) Summary Proceedings Act 1957 – Court staff had failed to serve notice of the hearing date on witnesses – applicant not competent to serve such a notice. CA234/05 11 September 2006
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
8 December 2006
8 December 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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