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
Earl Raymond Hagaman v Andrew James Little
Case number
SC 53/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the High Court erred in holding that the respondent was entitled to claim the defence of qualified privilege in relation to allegedly defamatory statements made by him about the applicant – Whether exceptional circumstances exist warranting a direct appeal to the Supreme Court.  
Result

A notice of abandonment having been lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.                                                                                                                 

12 June 2017
Judgment appealed from -HC judgment
HAGAMAN AND HAGAMAN v LITTLE [2017] NZHC 813  28 April 2017
Case name
B v The Queen
Case number
SC 58/2017
Summary
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted. [2017] NZCA 211   CA563/2016
Result

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
3 July 2017
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Judgment appealed from
(not publicly available)
Case name
L v The Queen 
Case number
SC 70/2017
Summary
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.               
Result

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Judgment appealed from
(not available publicly)
Case name
Y & P New Zealand Limited v Yang Wang and Chen Zhang
Case number
SC 81/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the respondents had a caveatable interest in the appellant’s properties.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the respondents.
22 August 2017
High Court decision
WANG & Anor v Y & P NEW ZEALAND LTD [2016] NZHC 3173 [21 December 2016]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Y&P NZ LIMITED v YANG WANG AND CHEN ZHANG [2017] NZSC 126 [22 August 2017] (PDF, 78 KB)
Judgment appealed from

Y&P NZ LIMITED v WANG [2017] NZCA 280 [3 July 2017]
Case name
E v The Queen
Case number
SC 85/2017
Summary
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted. 31 August 2017
Result

not publicly available 
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Judgment appealed from
not publicly available
Case name
K v The Queen
Case number
SC 99/2017
Summary
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted. 
Result

A notice of abandonment having been lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.                                                                                                                 

28 September 2017 
Judgment appealed from
(not available publicly)
Case name
B v The Queen
Case number
SC 106/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against conviction.  
Result

The application for leave to appeal is dismissed       

1 December 2017 
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Judgment appealed from
Not publicly available
Case name
A v B
Case number
SC 125/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal adopted the correct appellate standard of review – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in setting aside the High Court’s order permitting the applicant to access court records.  
Result

A Notice of Abandonment having been lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
6 July 2018 
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Judgment appealed from
not publicly available
Case name
B v The Queen
Case number
SC 126/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that certain propensity evidence was admissible. 
Result

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted. 
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
T v The Queen
Case number
SC 129/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, ss 8 and 43 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in overturning a pre-trial ruling that certain propensity evidence was not admissible. 
Result

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted.                                                                                                      

8 February 2018 
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Page 34 of 41