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
W v The Queen
Case number
SC 119/2018
Summary
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment or any part of the proceedings (including the result) in the news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of the trial. Publication in a law report or law digest permitted.   
Result

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial remains in force.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
11 March 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Kathryn Anne Harlen v Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development
Case number
SC 12/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Social Security Act 1964, s 86 – Whether the High Court erred in its view of the Chief Executive’s discretion to decline to recover benefit overpayments.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
12 June 2017
High Court decision
Harlen v Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development [2016] NZHC 1954
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
KATHRYN ANNE HARLEN v THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF SOCIALDEVELOPMENT [2017] NZSC 87   12 June 2017 (PDF, 74 KB)
Judgment appealed from

Harlen v Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development [2016] NZCA 648
Case name
Mark David Chisnall v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 13/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Public Safety (Public Protections Orders) Act 2014, s 8 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in the formulation of a threshold test for the granting of a public protection orders.
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Chisnall v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections [2016] NZCA 620).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the applicant’s appeal to that Court.
13 April 2017
______________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
1 August  2017
Transcripts
Media Releases
High Court decision
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS v CHISNALL [2016] NZHC 796 [26 April 2016]
Court of Appeal decision
CHISNALL V CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2016] NZCA 620 [19December 2016]
Leave judgment - leave granted
CHISNALL v THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2017] NZSC 50 (PDF, 109 KB)
Substantive judgment
MARK DAVID CHISNALL v THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2017] NZSC 114 [1 August 2017] (PDF, 294 KB)
Case name
Rhys Richard (Ngahiwi) Warren v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 17/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Public Safety (Public Protections Orders) Act 2014, s 8 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in the formulation of a threshold test for the granting of a public protection orders.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.                               
2 March 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RHYS RICHARD (NGAHIWI) WARREN v THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2017] NZSC 20          2 March 2017 (PDF, 75 KB)
Judgment appealed from

RHYS RICHARD (NGAHIWI) WARREN V CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2017] NZHC 12    17 January 2017
Case name
Ram Chander Dahiya v Chief Executive of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
Case number
SC 20/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal for an extension of time.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent. 8 May 2017
High Court decision
DAHIYA v CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF BUSINESS INNOVATION AND EMPLOYMENT [2016] NZHC 1217 [8 June 2016] 
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DAHIYA v CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND EMPLOYMENT [2017] NZSC 67  8 May 2017 (PDF, 78 KB)
Judgment appealed from

DAHIYA v CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND EMPLOYMENT [2016] NZCA 546    22 November 2016
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
Stanley Allen Gilmour v Chief Exectuive of the Department of Corrections 
Case number
SC 69/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Parole Act 2002, s 43(1)(c) – Parole Assessment Reports – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of s 43(1)(c).
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
High Court decision
GILMOUR v CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2016] NZHC 1352 [22 June 2016]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
STANLEY ALLEN GILMOUR v CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2017] NZSC 133 [4 September 2017] (PDF, 80 KB)
Recall judgment
STANLEY ALLEN GILMOUR v CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2017] NZSC 147 [3 October 2017] (PDF, 38 KB)
Judgment appealed from

GILMOUR v CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS [2017] NZCA 250   14 June 2017
Case name
DB Breweries Limited v Chief Executive of the New Zealand Customs Service
Case number
SC 88/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of s 20 of the Customs and Excise Act 1996.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.                                                  
11 October 2017
High Court decision
Chief Executive of the New Zealand Customs Service v DB Breweries Limited [2016] NZHC 2181 [15 September 2016]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DB BREWERIES LIMITED v CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE NEW ZEALAND CUSTOMS SERVICE [2017] NZSC 156 [11 October 2017] (PDF, 67 KB)
Judgment appealed from

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE NEW ZEALAND CUSTOMS SERVICE v DB BREWERIES LIMITED [2017] NZCA 307 [19 July 2017]
Case name
Tyson-Tainui Rukuwai Te Tomo v The Queen
Case number
SC 97/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Crimes Act 1961, s 48 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the High Court Judge at trial was correct not to direct the jury on self-defence.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
28 November 2017
High Court decision
R v  Te Tomo [2015] NZHC 2671 (30 October 2015)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TYSON-TAINUI RUKUWAI TE TOMO v R [2017] NZSC 180  28 November 2017 (PDF, 187 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Te Tomo v R [2017] NZCA 338 (8 August 2017)
Case name
Lawrence Reginald Jury v The Chief Executive of the New Zealand Customs Service
Case number
SC 100/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that in an appeal under s 267 of the Customs and Excise Tax Act 1996 the burden of proof is on the appellant – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the High Court Judge had made a relevant or material error as to the test of intention under s 225(1)(o) of the Act – Whether the Court of Appeal exceeded its jurisdiction under s 273 of the Act.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
High Court decision
JURY v THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE NEW ZEALAND CUSTOMS SERVICE [2016] NZHC 2868 [2 December 2016]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JURY v THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE NEW ZEALAND CUSTOMS SERVICE [2017] NZSC 170  [17 November 2017] (PDF, 211 KB)
Judgment appealed from

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE NEW ZEALAND CUSTOMS SERVICE v JURY [2017] NZCA 356 [18 August 2017]
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