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
John Patrick Round v The Queen
Case number
SC 59/2005
Summary
Criminal - whether counsel's alleged failures in cross-examination of the complainant, and not forcefully advising the applicant to give evidence led to a real risk of an unsafe verdict. CA 125/05 29 August 2005
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed. 24 November 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ROUND v R SC 59/2005 [24 November 2005] (PDF, 15 KB)
Judgment appealed from

NZLII: ROUND v R [2005] NZCA 219 (29 August 2005)
Case name
Eastern Services Limited v No 68 Limited
Case number
SC 64/2005
Summary
Civil appeal -whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the respondent's claim was not time-barred by the Limitation Act 1950 or by analogy with that section - whether statutory limitation periods are relevant to the Court's discretion in the exercise of the equitable defence of laches -“ whether the Court of Appeal erred in their statement of the test for laches.CA 173/04 20 September 2005
Result
Leave to appeal granted. 9 December 2005
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
EASTERN SERVICES LIMITED V NO. 68 LIMITED SC 64/2005 [9 December 2005]
Case name
Pharmacy Care Systems Limited v The Attorney-General.
Case number
SC CIV 12/2004
Summary
Civil appeal - contract law - correct test for whether a contract or deed is voidable because it is entered into under duress - whether duress was established on the facts of this case - whether the Court of Appeal breached natural justice by finding that the applicant had affirmed the deed when affirmation was not pleaded by the respondent as a defence - whether affirmation by silence requires the respondent to have relied on that silence to its detriment. CA198/03 16 August 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused. Costs to the respondent $1,000 plus disbursements as fixed by the Registrar. 9 November 2004
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PHARMACY CARE SYSTEMS LIMITED V THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL SC SC CIV 12/2004 [9 November 2004] (PDF, 13 KB)
Judgment appealed from
NZLII : Pharmacy Care Systems Ltd v Attorney-General [2004] NZCA 187 16 August 2004
Case name
Leonard Murray Rohrlach
Case number
SC CRI 4/2004
Summary
Criminal appeal against conviction - Whether trial counsel error amounted to a miscarriage of justice - Whether s344A application should have been opposed by defence counsel - Whether complainant should have been cross-examined in relation to medical and ESR evidence - Whether detective should have been cross-examined in relation to record of appellant's statements - Whether appellant able to make informed decision about giving evidence at trial. CA272/03 28 April 2004
Result
30 June 2004 - No jurisdiction to entertain appeal as no consent from respondent pursuant to Section 51 (2) (d).
Judgment appealed from
not publicly available
Case name
Fiso Siloata
Case number
SC CRI 8/2004
Summary
Criminal appeal against conviction for possession of cannabis for supply - whether the jury must be unanimous that the defence has failed to rebut the presumption that possession of cannabis was for supply. CA 447/03 14 July 2004
Result
Leave to appeal granted.
14 September 2004
____________________________
Appeal dismissed.
16 December 2004
Leave judgment - leave granted
Siloata v R 14 september 2004 SC CRI 8/2004 (PDF, 10 KB)
Supreme court decision
SILOATA V R SC SC CRI 8/2004 [16 December 2004] (PDF, 79 KB)
Judgment appealed from
The Queen v Siloata [2004] NZCA 144 (14 July 2004)
Transcript
Hearing date : 17 November 2004
Case name
Aerengaroa Timoti v The Queen
Case number
SC CRI 14/2004
Summary
Criminal appeal against conviction - Whether, in the circumstances of this case, provocation was available as a partial defence to murder under s167(d) of the Crimes Act - Whether the jury direction on provocation was inadequate, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. CA3/00 25 August 2004 PDF 92kb
Result
Leave to appeal granted.
10 December 2004
________________________
Appeal allowed. Conviction quashed. New Trial ordered.
21 June 2005
Leave judgment - leave granted
TIMOTI V R SC SC CRI 14/2004 [10 December 2004] (PDF, 11 KB)
Transcript
Hearing date : 17 March 2005
Substantive judgment

TIMOTI V R SC CRI 14/2004 21 June 2005
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