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
Tulsi Ram Naresh v Gordon Edward McCluskie
Case number
SC 89/2009
Summary
Civil – whether the Court of Appeal erred in law and fact in finding that the appellant should be removed as a trustee of a family trust pursuant to s 51 of the Trustee Act 1956 – whether the Court of Appeal erred in making an award of indemnity costs against the appellant – whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that, for limitation purposes, time ran from October 1993.[2009] NZCA 328  CA 766/2008   28 July  2009
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. Indemnity costs to the respondent. 26 November 2009
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
NARESH V MCCLUSKIE SC 89/2009 26 November 2009
Supreme court decision
NARESH v McCLUSKIE SC 89/2009 [18 December 2009] (PDF, 8 KB)
Judgment appealed from

 
Case name
Edward Woodrow Collins v The Queen
Case number
SC 110/2009
Summary
Criminal – Conspiracy to manufacture Class A drug – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the trial Judge gave proper jury directions on the evidence of co-conspirators – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in not ruling whether there was reasonable evidence that the applicant adhered to the conspiracy.[2009] NZCA 519    CA  119/2009    4 November  2009
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
2 March 2010
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
COLLINS v R SC 110/2009 [2 March 2010]  (PDF, 13 KB)
Judgment appealed from

The Queen v Collins [2009] NZCA 519 (4 November 2009) 
Case name
Jonathan John Edward Belcher v The Queen
Case number
SC 34/2008
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction – indecent assault and sexual violation – whether the Court of Appeal was correct to find that the trial Judge did not need to dismiss the jury when the appellant alleged he knew a juror – whether the Court of Appeal was right in holding that there was evidence to convict.
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
BELCHER v R SC 34/2008 [27 March 2009] (PDF, 16 KB)
Dates

Application for leave to appeal dismissed.

27 March 2009
Case name
Shane Edward Williams v The Queen
Case number
SC 61/2008
Summary
Criminal appeal – appeal against conviction – conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine – section 25(b) New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 – whether High Court Judge should have stayed the criminal proceedings after making finding of undue delay in bringing the applicant to trial – stay granted in relation to eight co-accused – whether applicant should have received same remedy.[2008] NZCA 296 CA 664/2007 12 August 2008
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted.
3 November 2008
________________________
Appeal dismissed.
15 May 2009
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
WILLIAMS v R SC 61/2008 [3 November 2008] (PDF, 12 KB)
Substantive judgment
SHANE EDWARD WILLIAMS v R SC 61/2008 [15 May 2009] (PDF, 48 KB)
Transcript

Hearing date : 26 February 2009
Case name
Joseph Junior Sipa v The Queen
Case number
SC 4/2006
Summary
Criminal law - appeal from Court of Appeal decision on Solicitor-General appeal against sentence for injuring with intent to injure - whether Court of Appeal erred in allowing appeals by Solicitor-General and substituting a sentence of three and a half years' imprisonment - approach when accused relies on sentencing indication given to co-offender - appellant entered guilty plea on the basis of sentencing indication given to his co-offender (his de facto partner) - whether the Court of Appeal should have remitted the case to the District Court for re-sentencing in light of its decision in R v Edwards . CA 390/05 7 December 2005
Result
Leave to Appeal granted.
28 March 2006
____________________________
Appeal dismissed.
20 July 2006
Leave judgment - leave granted
SIPA And Anor V R SC 4/2006 [28 March 2006] (PDF, 14 KB)
Judgment appealed from
R v Edwards [2005] NZCA 304 (7 December 2005)
Substantive judgment
SIPA And Anor V R SC 4/2006 [19 July 2006]
Transcript
Hearing date : 14 June 2006
Case name
Tess Jean Edwards v The Queen
Case number
SC 5/2006
Summary
Criminal law - appeal from Court of Appeal decision on Solicitor-General appeal against sentence for injuring with intent to injure - whether Court of Appeal erred in refusing to vacate guilty plea - whether Court of Appeal erred in allowing appeals by Solicitor-General and substituting a sentence of three and a half years' imprisonment - whether the Court of Appeal should have remitted the case to the District Court to allow the appellant to reconsider her guilty plea in light of its decision that the sentencing Judge misinformed himself in light of the Court of Appeal's decision in Taueki . CA 390/05 7 December 2005
Result
Leave to Appeal granted.
28 March 2006
_________________
20 July 2006.
Appeal dismissed.
Judgment appealed from
R v Edwards [2005] NZCA 304 (7 December 2005)
Leave judgment  - leave granted
SIPA And Anor V R SC 4/2006 [28 March 2006]
Substantive judgment
SIPA And Anor V R SC 4/2006 [19 July 2006]
Case name
Phillip Edward Crooks v R
Case number
SC 74/2005
Summary
Criminal law - inducing and indecent act and indecent assault on a girl under 14 years - whether Court of Appeal judgment factually flawed - whether Court of Appeal finding that evidence of grooming complainant a "highly relevant aggravating feature" unreasonable having regard to the evidence (s24 Sentencing Act 2002).CA 157/05 17 November 2005
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed. 20 March 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CROOKS V R SC 74/2005 [20 March 2006] (PDF, 15 KB)
Case name
Edward Herbert Collingwood and Others v Minister of Internal Affairs, Hamilton City Council and Others.
Case number
SC CIV 15/2004
Summary
Appeal against refusal by Court of Appeal to grant leave to appeal out of time - appeal against further application for leave being struck out as an abuse of process. CA56/01 19 July 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused. 2 November 2004 PDF 12kb
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
COLLINGWOOD & ORS V MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, GOVERNOR-GENERAL, ATTORNEYGENERAL, HAMILTON CITY COUNCIL & BRUCE PROPERTIES LTD & ORS SC SC CIV 15/2004 2 November 2004 (PDF, 8 KB)
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