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.
8 May 2026
Case information summary (as at 8 May 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 8 May 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 127 KB)
All years
Case name
Lisa Rochelle Lewis v Hamilton Cosmopolitan Club Incorporated
Case number
SC 33/2024
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 the respondent costs of $2,500.
18 June 2024
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
18 June 2024
District Court decision
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Grant Nicolson v Isaac Lowther, Steven Khov and Kieran Jones
Case number
SC 86/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
8 October 2024
_______________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 8 October 2024 (Nicolson v Lowther [2024] NZSC 135) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
6 December 2024
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
8 October 2024
_______________________________________
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 8 October 2024 (Nicolson v Lowther [2024] NZSC 135) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
6 December 2024
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
NICOLSON v LOWTHER [2024] NZSC 135 [8 October 2024] (PDF, 146 KB)
Recall judgment
NICOLSON v LOWTHER [2024] NZSC 169 [6 December 2024] (PDF, 194 KB)
Case name
W (SC 60/2023) v The King
Case number
SC 60/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Mr Hoggart’s application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The applications for leave to appeal are granted in part ([W] v R [2023] NZCA 155). The approved questions are:
1 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that a media take down order was not required in the circumstances of this case.
2 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the verdicts were not unreasonable in light of admissible evidence relating to the potential culpability of Lester Hamilton (deceased).
C The applications for leave to appeal are otherwise dismissed.
D Interim order suppressing the name of W and any identifying particulars made on 9 June 2023 is to continue until further order.
12 December 2023
B The applications for leave to appeal are granted in part ([W] v R [2023] NZCA 155). The approved questions are:
1 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that a media take down order was not required in the circumstances of this case.
2 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the verdicts were not unreasonable in light of admissible evidence relating to the potential culpability of Lester Hamilton (deceased).
C The applications for leave to appeal are otherwise dismissed.
D Interim order suppressing the name of W and any identifying particulars made on 9 June 2023 is to continue until further order.
12 December 2023
Date of hearing
06 August 2024
- 07 August 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 6_7 August 2024 (PDF, 490 KB)
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
Case name
Mark Jospeh Hoggart v The King
Case number
SC 77/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Mr Hoggart’s application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The applications for leave to appeal are granted in part ([W] v R [2023] NZCA 155). The approved questions are:
1 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that a media take down order was not required in the circumstances of this case.
2 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the verdicts were not unreasonable in light of admissible evidence relating to the potential culpability of Lester Hamilton (deceased).
C The applications for leave to appeal are otherwise dismissed.
D Interim order suppressing the name of W and any identifying particulars made on 9 June 2023 is to continue until further order.
12 December 2023
B The applications for leave to appeal are granted in part ([W] v R [2023] NZCA 155). The approved questions are:
1 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that a media take down order was not required in the circumstances of this case.
2 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the verdicts were not unreasonable in light of admissible evidence relating to the potential culpability of Lester Hamilton (deceased).
C The applications for leave to appeal are otherwise dismissed.
D Interim order suppressing the name of W and any identifying particulars made on 9 June 2023 is to continue until further order.
12 December 2023
Date of hearing
06 August 2024
- 07 August 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 6_7 August 2024 (PDF, 490 KB)
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
Case name
Pauline Janice Harrison v Adrienne Harrison, Graeme Ross Harrison, Nicholas Hamilton Birdsey, Raymond Owen Parmenter, Childfund New Zealand Limited And ASB Bank Limited
Case number
SC 97/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring a civil appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $500.
18 November 2022
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $500.
18 November 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Pauline Janice Harrison v Adrienne Harrison, Graeme Ross Harrison, Nicholas Hamilton Birdsey, Raymond Owen Parmenter, Childfund New Zealand Limited and ASB Bank Limited
Case number
SC 81/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
13 September 2021
_____________________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 13 September 2021 (Harrison v Harrison [2021] NZSC 115) is dismissed.
14 October 2021
13 September 2021
_____________________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 13 September 2021 (Harrison v Harrison [2021] NZSC 115) is dismissed.
14 October 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Isaac Kerehoma Stevens v The Queen
Case number
SC 96/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal direct to this Court is declined.
30 March 2022
30 March 2022
Date of Judgment
01 January 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Eight Mile Style, LLC & Martin Affiliated, LLC v New Zealand National Party and Greg Hamilton
Case number
SC 15/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Copyright Act 1994, s 121– User principle – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of damages principles.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay costs of $4,500 plus usual disbursements to the respondents collectively.
14 May 2019
B The applicants must pay costs of $4,500 plus usual disbursements to the respondents collectively.
14 May 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Transcript
Case name
Steven Philip Mason and Katharine Mary Mason v Andrew Hamilton Magee and Sharon Lee Magee
Case number
SC 128/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Contractual Remedies Act 1979, s 6 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that there was no misrepresentation.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants are to pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
9th February 2018
B The applicants are to pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
9th February 2018
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MASON v MAGEE [2018] NZSC 11 [9 February 2018] (PDF, 215 KB)
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Isaac Paparoa v The Queen
Case number
SC 22/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against the imposition of a Minimum Period of Imprisonment.[2015] NZCA 234 CA 389/2014
Result
A Extension of time for filing application for leave to appeal granted.
B Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
30 May 2016 __
B Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
30 May 2016 __
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ISAAC PAPAROA v R [2016] NZSC 59 30 May 2016 (PDF, 113 KB)
Judgment appealed from
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