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
David John Hampton v Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, Official Assignee and Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 72/2020
Summary
Civil Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $1,250 to each of the second and third respondents.
13 November 2020
B The applicant must pay costs of $1,250 to each of the second and third respondents.
13 November 2020
High Court decision
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Robert John Herd and Rhumba Holdings Limited v Rodney David Haines Kathleen Anne Norman
Case number
SC 80/2020
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
21 December 2020
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
21 December 2020
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
David Noel Roigard v The Queen
Case number
SC 25/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in relation to evidential matters (namely jury directions and prejudice in relation to cellmate confession evidence) – Whether the Court of Appeal wrongly determined aggravating factors in determining a minimum period of imprisonment.
Result
A Leave to appeal against conviction is granted to the extent described below (Roigard v R [2019] NZCA 8).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the admissibility of the proposed evidence of the witnesses F and W.
C Leave to appeal against sentence is declined.
27 June 2019
__________________________________________________
The appeal is dismissed.
14 September 2020
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the admissibility of the proposed evidence of the witnesses F and W.
C Leave to appeal against sentence is declined.
27 June 2019
__________________________________________________
The appeal is dismissed.
14 September 2020
Media Releases
- MR [2020] NZSC 94 (PDF, 76 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
DAVID NOEL ROIGARD v R [2019] NZSC 63 [27 June 2019] (PDF, 232 KB)
Substantive judgment
Hearing - Judges
3 October 2019
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France, and Williams JJ
Case synopsis
Case name
Vivien Judith Madsen-Ries and Henry David Levin as liquidators of Debut Homes Limited and Debut Homes Limited (in liquidation) v Leonard Wayne Cooper and Leonard Wayne Cooper and Tracey Cooper as trustees of the L & T Cooper Family Trust
Case number
SC 29/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in interpreting s 136 of the Companies Act 1993 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in considering the Respondent’s actions as a director under ss 131 and 135 of the Companies Act 1993.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Debut Homes Ltd (in liq) v Cooper [2019] NZCA 39)
B The approved ground of appeal is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
21 June 2019
___________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The High Court orders outlined at [4(a)], (b) and (c) of this Court’s judgment are restored.
C The respondents must pay the appellants costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements. Costs in the Courts below are to be determined in accordance with this judgment.
24 September 2020
B The approved ground of appeal is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the appeal.
21 June 2019
___________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The High Court orders outlined at [4(a)], (b) and (c) of this Court’s judgment are restored.
C The respondents must pay the appellants costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements. Costs in the Courts below are to be determined in accordance with this judgment.
24 September 2020
Media Releases
- MR [2020] NZSC 100 (PDF, 74 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Recall judgment
Transcript
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Case name
Carl David George Butcher v The Queen
Case number
SC 35/2019
Summary
Not publicly available
Result
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
High/District Court judgment
Not publicly available
Case name
Dwayne Russell Warakihi Maaka Smyth-Davoren v David Parker, Jacinda Ardern and Andrew Little
Case number
SC 47/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in refusing to grant an extension of time to file the case on appeal and apply for the allocation of a hearing date.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B No order as to costs.
1 July 2019
_______________________________
The applications for recall of this Court’s judgments in Smyth Davoren v Parker [2019] NZSC 66 and in Smyth Davoren v Mountbatten [2019] NZSC 67 are dismissed.
8 July 2019
B No order as to costs.
1 July 2019
_______________________________
The applications for recall of this Court’s judgments in Smyth Davoren v Parker [2019] NZSC 66 and in Smyth Davoren v Mountbatten [2019] NZSC 67 are dismissed.
8 July 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Dwayne Russell Warakihi Maaka Smyth-Davoren v Elizabeth II Alexandra Mary Mountbatton (born Windsor)
Case number
SC 48/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in refusing to grant the extension of time.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B No order for costs.
1 July 2019
___________________________
The applications for recall of this Court’s judgments in Smyth Davoren v Parker [2019] NZSC 66 and in Smyth Davoren v Mountbatten [2019] NZSC 67 are dismissed.
8 July 2019
B No order for costs.
1 July 2019
___________________________
The applications for recall of this Court’s judgments in Smyth Davoren v Parker [2019] NZSC 66 and in Smyth Davoren v Mountbatten [2019] NZSC 67 are dismissed.
8 July 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
David Owen Lyttle v The Queen
Case number
SC 54/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring a pre-trial appeal
Result
A The application for leave to bring a pre-trial appeal is dismissed.
B We make an order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceeding (including the result) in the news media or on the internet or on any other publicly available database until final disposition of the trial. Publication in a law report or law digest is permitted.
18 July 2019
B We make an order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceeding (including the result) in the news media or on the internet or on any other publicly available database until final disposition of the trial. Publication in a law report or law digest is permitted.
18 July 2019
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DAVID OWEN LYTTLE v R [2019] NZSC 75 [18 July 2019] (PDF, 42 KB)
Case name
Allan Jack West v Geoffrey Allan West, David John Cameron West and The Partners of Langley Twigg Law
Case number
SC 56/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Particular discovery – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the High Court was functus officio and could not grant particular discovery.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
9 October 2019
B There is no order as to costs.
9 October 2019
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Alexander Pieter van Heeren and Worldwide Leisure Limited v Michael David Kidd, Saraceno Holding BV, Stichting Administratiekantoor Saraceno Holding and Bank of New Zealand
Case number
SC 71/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred allowing the respondent’ s appeal
Result
A Notice of Abandonment having been filed the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed. 3 September 2019
Court of Appeal decision
High Court decision
Not publicly available
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