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.
19 June 2026
Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 126 KB)
All years
Case name
Brian Johnson Mankelow v The Queen
Case number
SC 30/2007
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction – trial directions as to inferences – whether the Court of Appeal should have reconsidered its decision in 2005 that certain evidence was admissible in light of the decision of the Court of Appeal in R v Williams [2007] NZCA 52 – whether there has been a substantial miscarriage of justice. CA 443/06 19 April 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
20 July 2007
20 July 2007
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MANKELOW v R SC 30/2007 [20 July 2007] (PDF, 15 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Gregory Nielsen and Roderick William Nielsen v Dysart Timbers Limited
Case number
SC 38/2007
Summary
Civil appeal – interpretation of clause in deed of purchase of debt – whether deed extended to companies or entities other than those expressly mentioned in the deed.CA 253/05 22 May 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted.
9 August 2007
_________________________
Notice of abandonment being lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
3 June 2009
9 August 2007
_________________________
Notice of abandonment being lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
3 June 2009
Leave judgment - leave granted
Judgment appealed from
Number
SC38/2007
Case name
Lionel Andrew West v The Official Assignee
Case number
SC 82/2007
Summary
Civil appeal – disposal of applicant’s beneficial interest in property on insolvency – whether the Official Assignee was prevented from selling the applicant’s interest in the trust property when the applicant had been discharged from bankruptcy – whether the Official Assignee was free to choose which property comprised the applicant’s 1/3 share in the trust property –whether the Court of Appeal applied Cameron v Official Assignee (1987) 9 NZTC 6,187 correctly – whether the Official Assignee’s mistaken belief that he replaced the applicant as trustee of the property formed a cause of action in negligence - whether all debts owed by the applicant had been paid and whether this fact affected the ability of the Official Assignee to sell the property interest – whether the Court of Appeal should have allowed the applicant to introduce new evidence – whether the Magna Carta prevented the Official Assignee from disposing of the applicant’s property interest. [2007] NZCA 523 CA 53/06 20 November 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. Costs of $1500 to the respondent. 11 March 2008
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Ross Alexander Williams v The Queen
Case number
SC 1/2006
Summary
Criminal law - appeal against conviction for selling and cultivation of cannabis- whether Court of Appeal erred in refusing to admit new evidence -whether Court of Appeal erred in finding the new evidence was not fresh- failure of counsel on appeal to follow instructions to call trial counsel to give evidence relating to preparation for trial misconduct of trial counsel - failure of counsel on appeal to argue that convictions lack evidentiary basis - whether trial Judge erred in admitting evidence obtained via an unlawful search. CA 63/05 9 December 2005.
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed.
24 May 2006
24 May 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
WILLIAMS V R SC 1/2006 [24 May 2006] (PDF, 23 KB)
Case name
Norman William Jack and Judith Anne Jack v Murray Clive Guy
Case number
SC 1/2005
Summary
Nature of contract - whether contract between parties was one of sale and purchase or one of agency - whether contract breached - whether contract terminated - on whom the burden of proof rests when a defence is raised under s7(3)(c) Contractual Remedies Act 1979. CA164/03 1 December 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused.
11 March 2005
11 March 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JACK AND JACK V GUY SC SC 1/2005 [11 March 2005] (PDF, 20 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Lionel William Burt v Liu Sheung Wong.
Case number
SC CIV 10/2004
Summary
Civil appeal - lawfulness of discretionary distributions of capital by trustees of an estate to life tenant - life tenant lent capital to eventual beneficiaries of residuary estate - whether discretionary distribution amounted to a fraud upon a power - whether trustees protected from personal liability by an exoneration clause or s73 Trustee Act 1956 - meaning of "honesty" in the context of an exoneration clause or s73 Trustee Act 1956. CA100/03 4 August 2004
Dates
Notice of abandonment of appeal being lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
3 February 2005
Case name
Latimer Holdings Ltd and John William Powell v Sea Holdings New Zealand Ltd.
Case number
SC CIV 16/2004
Summary
Civil appeal - appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal dismissing an appeal from the interlocutory decision of the High Court entering summary judgment in favour of the respondent - whether detriment suffered by the applicant was within the category of unfair detriment in s174 Companies Act. CA 214/03 15 September 2004
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed. Costs to respondent $1000 and disbursements. 24 November 2004
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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