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.

31 July 2026

Case information summary (as at 31 July 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 31 July 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 131 KB) 

All years

Case name
Bruce James Spittle v The Queen
Case number
SC 47/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its determination that the verdict of the jury in the applicant’s trial was not unreasonable having regard to the evidence.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.                                           6 July 2017
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
BRUCE JAMES SPITTLE v R [2017] NZSC 105   6 July 2017 (PDF, 80 KB)
Judgment appealed from

SPITTLE v R [2017] NZCA 116   7 April 2017
Case name
Earl Raymond Hagaman v Andrew James Little
Case number
SC 53/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the High Court erred in holding that the respondent was entitled to claim the defence of qualified privilege in relation to allegedly defamatory statements made by him about the applicant – Whether exceptional circumstances exist warranting a direct appeal to the Supreme Court.  
Result

A notice of abandonment having been lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.                                                                                                                 

12 June 2017
Judgment appealed from -HC judgment
HAGAMAN AND HAGAMAN v LITTLE [2017] NZHC 813  28 April 2017
Case name
ESR Group (NZ) Limited v Ian James Burden, Plantation Grown Timbers (International) Limited and Plantation Grown Timbers (Vietnam) Limited
Case number
SC 83/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Copyright Act 1994, ss 35, 120 and 232 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the second and third respondents were entitled to enforce copyright in New Zealand – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the applicant infringed copyright by importation.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant is to pay costs of $4,500 and reasonable disbursements to the respondents.                                                                                            20 November 2017
High Court decision
BURDEN & ORS v ESR GROUP & ORS [2016] NZHC 1542  7 July 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ESR GROUP (NZ) LIMITED v IAN JAMES BURDEN [2017] NZSC 173 [20 November 2017] (PDF, 199 KB)
Judgment appealed from

ESR GROUP (NZ) LIMITED v BURDEN [2017] NZCA 217  26 May 2017
Transcript civil leave application hearing
Hearing date : 10 November 2017
Case name
Studorp Limited & James Hardie New Zealand v Tracey Jane Cridge, Mark Anthony Unwin, Katrina McKellar Fowler, Scott Woodhead & Body Corp 316651
Case number
SC 104/2017
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay costs of $2,500 to the respondents.
27 November 2017
High Court decision
CRIDGE v STUDORP LIMITED [2016] NZHC 2451 [14 October 2016]
High Court decision
T J CRIDGE AND M A UNWIN v STUDORP LIMITED [2015] NZHC 3065 [4 December 2015]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
STUDORP LIMITED v CRIDGE AND ORS [2017] NZSC 178 [27 November 2017] (PDF, 206 KB)
Judgment appealed from

Tracey Jane Cridge, Mark Anthony Unwin, Katrina McKellor Fowler and Scott Woodhead v  Studrop Limited [2017] NZCA 376  30 August 2017
Case name
Anthony Harry De Vries v Bartercard Exchange Limited
Case number
SC 108/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing an application for review of the Deputy Registrar’s decision not to waive the filing fee for the appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing an application for review of the Deputy Registrar’s decision not to dispense with security for costs.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
11 December 2017
____________________________
The application for recall is dismissed.                                                                                                   
2 February 2018
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DE VRIES v BARTERCARD EXCHANGE LIMITED [2017] NZSC 186 [11 December 2017] (PDF, 194 KB)
Recall judgment
ANTHONY HARRY DE VRIES v BARTERCARD EXCHANGE LIMITED [2018] NZSC 2 [2 February 2018] (PDF, 228 KB)
High Court decision

DE VRIES v BARTERCARD EXCHANGE LIMITED [2016] NZHC 3204 [30 November 2016]
Case name
Desmond James Albert Conway v Mercedes-Benz Financial Services New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 119/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation and application of the Personal Property Securities Act 1999 and the Property Law Act 2007 – Whether the applicant was mortgagor of vehicles repossessed by the respondent.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
23 February 2018
High Court decision
MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES NZ LTD v CONWAY [2015] NZHC 315 [27 February 2015]
High Court decision
MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES NEW ZEALAND LTD v CONWAY [2016] NZHC 1587 [13 July 2016]
High Court decision
MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES NEW ZEALAND LIMITED v CONWAY [2016] NZHC 1896 [16 August 2016]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DESMOND JAMES ALBERT CONWAY v MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES NEW ZEALAND LIMITED [2018] NZSC 16 [23 February 2018] (PDF, 195 KB)
Judgment appealed from

CONWAY V MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL SERVICES NEW ZEALAND LIMITED [2017] NZCA 463 [17 October 2017]
Case name
Earl Raymond Hagaman v Andrew James Little
Case number
SC 121/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal on the basis that the proceeding abates with the death of Mr Hagaman.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The personal representatives of Mr Hagaman must pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
13 February 2018
High Court decision
HAGAMAN AND HAGAMAN v LITTLE [2017] NZHC 813 [28 April 2017]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
EARL RAYMOND HAGAMAN v ANDREW JAMES LITTLE [2018] NZSC 13 [13 February 2018] (PDF, 206 KB)
Judgment appealed from

HAGAMAN v LITTLE [2017] NZCA 447 [2 November 2017]
Case name
W v The Queen 
Case number
SC 9/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against sentence.[2011] NZCA 135  CA 591/2010
Result
A   An extension of time is granted.                                          
B  The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.  
2 May 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
IVAN JAMES WILSON v R [2016] NZSC 47     2 May 2016 (PDF, 78 KB)
Judgment appealed from

W (CA378/2016) v R [2017] NZCA 235 6 June 2017
Case name
Anthony Pratt Kaye and Morva Kaye v Norris Ward McKinnon
Case number
SC 29/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether Court of Appeal erred in finding that the respondents had not breached duty of care – Whether Court of Appeal erred in finding that the respondents had not caused the applicants any loss.
[2016] NZCA 32    CA333/2015
Result
A   The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.   
B   The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
15 June 2016
High Court decision
NORRIS WARD MCKINNON v KAYE [2015] NZHC 1025
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ANTHONY PRATT KAYE AND MORVA KAYE v NORRIS WARD MCKINNON [2016] NZSC 66   15 June 2016 (PDF, 81 KB)
Recall judgment
ANTHONY PRATT KAYE AND MORVA KAYE v NORRIS WARD MCKINNON [2016] NZSC 104 [15 August 2016 (PDF, 64 KB)
Judgment appealed from

KAYE V NORRIS WARD MCKINNON [2016] NZCA 32     29 February 2016
Case name
Martin James Mailley v District Court at North Shore and New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 36/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of s 48(4) of the Extradition Act 1999.      [2016] NZCA 83   CA716/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.                       20 June 2016
High Court decision
MAILLEY v THE DISTRICT COURT AT NORTH SHORE [2014] NZHC 2816   12 November 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MARTIN JAMES MAILLEY v DISTRICT COURT AT NORTH SHORE [2016] NZSC 73    20 June 2016 (PDF, 72 KB)
Judgment appealed from

MAILLEY v DISTRICT COURT AT NORTH SHORE [2016] NZCA 83 23 March 2016
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