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
Wali Javad Allahyai v The Queen
Case number
SC 47/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against Court of Appeal judgment, dismissing appeals against conviction and sentence for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm – fresh evidence – whether the Court of Appeal erred by not admitting fresh evidence advanced on appeal to that court – further fresh evidence that should be admitted now – whether there was an unfair trial and appeal due to police conduct. CA 330/04    7 June 2006
Court of Appeal decision
The Queen v Allahyai [2006] NZCA 118 (7 June 2006)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ALLAHYAI v R SC 47/2006 [5 October 2006] (PDF, 23 KB)
Case name
Brent John Gilchrist v The Queen
Case number
SC 69/2006
Summary
Criminal – Tax Administration Act – tax evasion – applicant convicted of knowingly failing to provide Commissioner of Inland Revenue with information when required to do so pursuant to a notice to furnish information – standard of proof of delegation of authority from Commissioner – standard of intent to evade payment of tax.CA 29/06 18 August 2006
Result

Application for leave to appeal granted.

29 September 2006

________________

Appeal dismissed.

15 December 2006
Transcript
Hearing date : 7 December 2006
Substantive judgment / Media release
GILCHRIST v R SC 69/2006 [15 December 2006]
Leave judgment  - leave granted
GILCHRIST v R SC 69/2006 [29 September 2006]
Judgment appealed from

The Queen v Gilchrist [2006] NZCA 221    18 August 2006
Case name
Whangamata Homes Limited v Peter Martin Jansen and Vivienne Marie Jansen
Case number
SC 55/2005
Summary
Contract law - whether the acts of the appellant amounted to an election to keep the agreement on foot, precluding the appellant from exercising a right to cancel under a sunset clause – whether and to what extent the actions of parties are to be assessed by reference to a) a continuing duty to do all such things as were reasonably necessary for or incidental to the performance of the contract, and b) the intentions of the parties as expressed in the sunset clause. CA 266/04 15 August 2005
Result
Leave to appeal refused. 3 November 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
WHANGAMATA HOMES LIMITED v JANSEN SC 55/2005 [3 November 2005] (PDF, 16 KB)
Judgment appealed from

Jansen v Whangamata Homes Ltd [2005] NZCA 207  15 August 2005
Case name
Roger Wilson Steele and Christine Lynne Roberts v Eleftarious Serepisos
Case number
SC 68/2005
Summary
Civil appeal – whether the vendor subdivider was entitled to bring the contract to an end or treat it as at an end because the provisions of s 225 of the Resource Management Act 1991 had not been fulfilled within a reasonable time - whether the vendor was obliged to give the purchaser notice of their intention to bring the contract to an end or allow the purchaser an opportunity fulfil the conditions of s 225 of the Act.CA 203/04 12 October 2005
Result
Leave to appeal granted to appellant and respondent. 15 February 2006 ______________________________ The appeal is allowed.
The cross-appeal is dismissed.
The orders made by the Court of Appeal are set aside.
In their place we make an order for the entry of judgment in the High Court in favour of the appellants.
The appellants are to have costs in the High Court as fixed by that Court in the light of this judgment, and in the Court of Appeal the appellants are to have costs of $6,000 plus disbursements, to be fixed if necessary by the Registrar of that Court.
The appellants are to have costs in this Court of $15,000 plus disbursements, to be fixed if necessary by the Registrar of this Court. 4 September 2006
Leave judgment - leave granted
NZLII : Steele and Roberts v Serepisos [2006] NZSC 4 (15 February 2006)
Judgment appealed from

STEELE & ANOR V SEREPISS CA CA203/04 1
Substantive judgment
STEELE AND ROBERTS v SEREPISOS SC 68/2005 [4 September 2006]
Transcript

Hearing date : 23 May 2006
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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