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
Wayne Leslie Douglas v The Queen
Case number
SC 11/2013
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Crimes Act 1961, s 220 – Theft by person in a special relationship – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the trial judge had applied the correct test for intention in relation to a s 220 charge – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that the Crown had established that the appellants knew that the relevant transactions were in breach of the relevant requirements beyond reasonable doubt. [2012] NZCA 610  CA 623/2012
Dates

Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
19 April 2013.
Case name
Grace Riana Boagey v The Queen
Case number
SC 29/2013
Summary
Criminal appeal – Assault with a weapon; intentional damage; aggravated assault and refusal to permit a blood sample to be taken –¬ Disqualification from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence – Land Transport Act 1998, s 65 – Guilty plea following erroneous sentencing indication – Whether Court of Appeal was correct to quash guilty pleas and remit charges to District Court for appellant to replead and possibly a retrial.  [2013] NZCA 30   CA202/2012
Dates

Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
2 July 2013.
Case name
C  v The Queen
Case number
SC 74/2013
Summary
Criminal appeal – Pre-trial application – Blackmail, assault, assault with intent to injure – Whether trial Judge correctly concluded that text messages were not unlawfully interception – Crimes Act 1961, s 216B – Whether text messages could be lawfully obtained through a production order – Search and Surveillance Act 2012, ss 71¬–72 – Admissibility of text messages at trial – Evidence Act 2006, s 30.[2013] NZHC 1900     CRI 2012 009 11872
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CHAPMAN v R [2013] NZSC 83 [23 August 2013] (PDF, 49 KB)
Dates

The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.

23 August 2013
Case name
Jason Lloyd Jones v The Queen
Case number
SC 29/2012
Summary
Criminal – Sentencing – Rape – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in raising the applicant’s sentence from 9.5 years to 13 years – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that a finding of ‘ significant premeditation’ in sexual offending was not restricted to the existence of a fixed intention to have non-consensual-sex prior to the offending, and that an offence would be ‘significantly’ premeditated where there was an intent to have sexual connection with the victims regardless of whether consent was forthcoming – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the victim’s consent to sexual activity with the applicant’ s co-offender prior to the rape was not relevant to sentencing – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the lower Court’s 6 month reduction for ‘previous good conduct, family circumstances and the shame experienced’ was inappropriate in light of his past offending and repeated denial of the rape. CA 376/2011  [2012] NZCA 27
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
18 June 2012.
Case name
Ann Mary Seaton v Minister for Land Information
Case number
SC 44/2012
Summary
Civil – s 23 Public Works Act 1981– compulsory acquisition – whether s 23 empowers the Minister to acquire land indirectly required for a Government work – whether the Minister’s intention to transfer the easement interests to Transpower and Orion following acquisition meant that he had not acted for a proper purpose as required by s 23.[2012]NZCA 234  CA   360/2011
Result
The application for leave to appeal is granted. The approved ground is whether the Court of Appeal was correct in its interpretation and application of the relevant provisions of the Public Works Act 1981 in the circumstances of this case?
25 July 2012
___________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The judgment of the Court of Appeal is set aside.
C The orders made in the High Court are restored.
D The respondent is to pay the appellant, with respect to costs in this Court, the sum of $25,000 together with disbursements to be fixed, if necessary, by the Registrar.
E  If the parties cannot agree on costs in the Court of Appeal, the Court of Appeal must fix them.
29 April 2013
Media Releases
Transcript

Hearing date : 13 November 2012

Elias CJ, McGrath, William Young, Chambers, Glazebrook JJ.
Case name
Wayne Goodwin Janse v The Queen
Case number
SC 45/2012
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction and sentence on one count of injuring with intent to injury and another of male assaults female – Whether verdict can be supported on the evidence – Whether particular evidence should have been presented to the jury at an earlier stage of the trial – Whether institutional gender bias surrounding domestic violence caused a miscarriage of justice.   [2012]NZCA 214  CA   526/2011
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
14 October 2012.
Case name
Gerald Thondhlana v The Queen
Case number
SC 50/2012
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Counsel error – Appeal against conviction of assault with intent to injure – Whether counsel failed to call relevant medical evidence – Whether counsel adequately argued self-defence – Whether Crown witnesses were cross-examined on inconsistent statements – Whether a miscarriage of justice occurred[2012]NZCA 233  CA   536/2011
Dates
Notice of abandonment being lodged, the application is deemed to be dismissed.
14 November 2012.
Case name
Sonja Marie Lawson v The Queen
Case number
SC 71/2012
Summary
Criminal appeal – Appeal against conviction – Crimes Act 1961, s 228(b) – Using a document with intent to obtain a pecuniary advantage, dishonestly and without claim of right – Whether Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss appeal against conviction ¬– Trial counsel errors – Prosecution Misconduct – Failure to consider appellant’s brief – Unfair hearing – Errors of law.[2012] NZCA 426  CA 593/2001
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
13 March 2013.
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
LAWSON v R SC 71/2012 [13 March 2013] (PDF, 44 KB)
Case name
Steven John Cleave v The Queen
Case number
SC 32/2011
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm – Whether appellant was denied right to elect to give evidence of self-defence by defence counsel – Whether defence counsel failed to follow instructions by not proceeding with forensic testing. [2011]  NZCA 40  CA 127/2010
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CLEAVE v R SC 32/2011 [5 July 2011] (PDF, 43 KB)
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
5 July 2011.
Case name
Courtney Pauline Churchward v The Queen
Case number
SC 134/2011
Summary
Criminal – Conviction – Murder – Whether Court of Appeal erred in dismissing appeal against conviction – Whether Court of Appeal took correct approach to directions concerning accused’s youth and possible effect on intent – Availability of diminished responsibility defence.[2011] NZCA  531  CA 610/2010
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
5 April 2012.
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