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.

17 August 2026

Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 128 KB) 

All years

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
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JACK AND JACK V GUY SC SC 1/2005 [11 March 2005] (PDF, 20 KB)
Judgment appealed from

JACK V GUY CA CA164/03 1 December 2004
Case name
Benjamin Turrei Brooking v The Queen
Case number
SC 16/2005
Summary
Criminal appeal - appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal quashing a sentence of six years imprisonment and substituting a sentence of eight years nine months - whether the Court erred in principle in holding that in the District Court the Judge failed to take into account offending other than burglaries. CA 419/04 7 March 2005
Result
Leave to appeal refused.
31 May 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
BROOKING V R SC 16/2005 [31 May 2005] (PDF, 14 KB)
Judgment appealed from
BROOKING v R [2005] NZCA 32 (7 March 2005)
Case name
Benjamin Eugene Manuel v The Superintendent, Hawkes Bay Prison
Case number
SC CIV 5/2004
Summary
Habeas Corpus - proper case scope of writ of habeas corpus under the Habeas Corpus Act 2001 - relationship with judicial review. Parole - nature of parole - test for recall - conformity with New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - Parole Board procedure on recall. CA 67/01 15 June 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused. 3 August 2004
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
BENJAMIN EUGENE MANUEL (ALSO KNOWN AS EUGENE BENJAMIN MANUEL) V THE SUPERINTENDENT, HAWKES BAY REGIONAL PRISON SC CIV SC 5/2004 3 August 2004 (PDF, 12 KB)
Judgment appealed from

MANUEL V THE SUPERINTENDENT, HAWKES BAY REGIONAL PRISON CA CA67/04 15 June 2004
Transcript

Hearing date : 3 August 2004

 
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
LATIMER HOLDINGS LIMITED & ANOR V SEA HOLDINGS NEW ZEALAND LIMITED SC SC CIV 16/2004 [24 November 2004] (PDF, 14 KB)
Judgment appealed from
NZLII : Latimer Holdings Ltd v Sea Holdings New Zealand Ltd [2004] NZCA 226 (15 September 2004
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