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
Abdullah Robert Boyd v Australian Federal Police, New South Wales Legal Aid, New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand Police, Attorney-General, Office of the Inspectorate, Canterbury Intelligence Team and Ministry of Health
Case number
SC 40/2024
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 adduce further evidence is dismissed.
C The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
D There is no order as to costs.
30 July 2024
Case name
P (SC 66/2024) v The King
Case number
SC 66/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B We make an order prohibiting publication of this judgment until 2.00 pm on 22 October 2024.
8 October 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Allan Geoffrey Halse v Rangiura Trust Board, Norris Ward McKinnon Limited, Samuel Wallace Hood and Erin Rebekah Anderson
Case number
SC 72/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the second, third and fourth respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
24 October 2024
_________________________________________
The application for recall is dismissed.
19 December 2024_________________________________________A The application for recall is dismissed.
B The Registrar is instructed not to accept any further application related to this matter.                                    20 February 2025
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
David Wayne Tamihere v The King
Case number
SC 82/2024
Summary

Criminal Appeal

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Tamihere v R [2024] NZCA 300).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct not to exercise its jurisdiction under s 406(1)(a) of the Crimes Act 1961 to quash Mr Tamihere’s convictions.
20 December 2024
__________________________________________________
A The application to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
B The appeal is allowed.
C We exercise the Court’s jurisdiction under s 406(1)(a) of the Crimes Act 1961 to quash Mr Tamihere’s convictions. We make an order directing a retrial.
D Order redacting paragraphs [49]–[61], [79]–[120], [147]– [161], [163]–[164] and [167]–[170] from the judgment delivered on 31 March 2026.
E Order prohibiting publication of the unredacted version of the judgment pending final disposition of retrial.     
31 March 2026

Date of hearing
18 August 2025 - 20 August 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ | Venue: Auckland High Court, Courtroom 11
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Anthony James Rea and Judith Mary Rea as trustees of the Waiatarua Trust v Auckland Council
Case number
SC 83/2024
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 the respondent costs of $2,500.
6 November 2024
Case name
Benjovi Channi Toa v The King
Case number
SC 84/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
14 November 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Grant Nicolson v Isaac Lowther, Steven Khov and Kieran Jones
Case number
SC 86/2024
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 the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
8 October 2024
_______________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 8 October 2024 (Nicolson v Lowther [2024] NZSC 135) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
6 December 2024
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Sarah Gordon and Giles Newton-Howes v Attorney-General and Director-General of Health
Case number
SC 89/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to file submissions in reply is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C There is no order as to costs.
6 November 2024
Case name
ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited v Anthony Paul Simons, Andrew John Bevan and Mei Lim, Philip Charles Dunbar and Sheryn Valeri Dunbar, Bruno Robert Bickerdike and Emma Renae Punter and Glenn Jonathan Marvin and Anna Mary Cuthbert
Case number
SC 90/2024
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 the respondents costs of $2,500.
20 December 2024
Case name
Amitesh Kumar Sharma v Auckland Council
Case number
SC 91/2024
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.
22 October 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed