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
Jason John Cumming v The Queen
Case number
SC 72/2005
Summary
Criminal appeal - whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding an accused should be allowed to invoke right of self-representation where their decision was "fully informed and deliberate" whether the trial judges summing up and other interventions during the course of the trial led to a miscarriage of justice.CA 43/03 2 November 2005.
Result
Leave to appeal granted.
27 March 2006
_____________________
Appeal allowed, conviction quashed. New trial ordered.
15 May 2008
Date of hearing
19 October 2006
Judges
Elias CJ, Blanchard, Tipping, Anderson and Gault JJ: substantive hearing: 28 February 2008
Media Releases
Court of Appeal decision
NZLII : The Queen v Cumming [2005] NZCA 260
Leave judgment - leave granted
CUMMING V R SC 72/2005 [27 March 2006] (PDF, 12 KB)
Substantive judgment
CUMMING v R SC 72/2005 [15 May 2008] (PDF, 51 KB)
Case name
Governors Ltd & Stephen Kevin Chamberlain v George Albert Anderson and others
Case number
SC 75/2005
Summary
Civil - business premises unlawfully re-entered by landlord - whether damages correctly assessed - whether Court of Appeal properly dismissed an application to produce further evidence, without allowing the applicants to be heardCA 94/04 19 December 2005
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed. 5 April 2006
Recall judgment
GOVERNORS LIMITED AND ANOR V GEORGE ALBERT ANDERSON AND MARGARET ADAIR ANDERSON AND ANOR CA CA94/04 19 December 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Governors Ltd & Stephen Kevin Chamberlain v George Albert Anderson and others [2006] NZSC 25     5 April 2006 (PDF, 15 KB)
Judgment appealed from

GOVERNORS LIMITED AND ANOR V ANDERSON ANORS CA CA94/04 19 December 2005
Case name
Otago Station Estates Limited v John Robert Parker; and David John Parker and Lorraine Maree Parker.
Case number
SC CIV 6/2004
Summary
Civil appeal - method of payment of a deposit in a conveyancing transaction where notice of intention to cancel for non-payment of deposit has been given - whether payment in law requires legal tender or whether tendering a personal cheque is sufficient. CA 158/03 10 June 2004
Result
Leave to appeal granted.
12 October 2004
_____________________
The appeal is dismissed. Costs in favour of the respondents are to be fixed following receipt of memoranda of counsel.
19 April 2005
Transcripts
Leave judgment - leave granted
OTAGO STATION ESTATES LTD V JOHN ROBERT PARKER And Anor SC SC CIV 6/2004 [12 October 2004] (PDF, 12 KB)
Substantive judgment
OTAGO STATION ESTATES LIMITED V PARKER And Anor SC SC CIV 6/2004 [19 April 2005] (PDF, 59 KB)
Supreme court decision
costs: OTAGO STATION ESTATES LIMITED V PARKER And Anor SC CIV 6/2004 [16 June 2005] (PDF, 13 KB)
Judgment appealed from

OTAGO STATION ESTATES LIMITED V JOHN ROBERT PARKER And Anor CA CA158/03 10 June 2004
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