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
W v The Queen
Case number
SC 123/2016
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.[2016] NZCA 461   CA310/2016
Result

Judgment released.
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. 

5 December 2016
SC judgment
not publicly available
Judgment appealed from
not publicly available
Case name
P v The Queen
Case number
SC 42/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the conduct of the trial prosecutor did not amount to a miscarriage of justice[2015] NZCA 96  CA 672/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
24 June 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
P v The Queen [2015] NZSC 90   24 June 2015 (PDF, 82 KB)
Judgment appealed from

P (CA672/2013) V R CA672/2013 [2015] NZCA 96    27 March 2015
Case name
B  v  C
Case number
SC 84/2015
Summary
Civil Appeal – Application for leave for a direct appeal from High Court – Whether the High Court erred in not declaring the proceedings as null and void due to the applicant’s diplomatic immunity – Whether the High Court erred in holding that the New Zealand Family Court is the appropriate forum in which to decide issues concerning the care and welfare of the applicant and the respondent’s children.[2015] NZHC  1595  CIV 2014 485 11245
Result

A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The application for interim relief is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.

16 September 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
NZLII link
Case name
JWB v The Queen
Case number
SC 88/2015
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the trial Judge’s directions in relation to s 168 of the Crimes Act 1961 risked miscarriage of justice – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of s 104 of the Sentencing Act 2002.  [2015] NZCA  306  CA 687/2014
Result

The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.

16 March 2016
Case name
G v The Queen
Case number
SC 112/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Crimes Act 1961, s 340 – Evidence Act 2006, s 43 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that joinder of two sets of charges by two different complainants would not unfairly prejudice the defendant.[2015] NZCA 323   CA 149/2015
Result

A An extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.

B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.

21 October 2015                                                        __
Case name
RJG v The Queen
Case number
SC 113/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal –– Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against a pre-trial ruling as to evidence.[2015] NZCA 462   CA 506/2015
Result

Application for leave to appeal is dismissed.

30 October 2015                                                                                    __
Case name
The Queen v P
Case number
SC 131/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the statements made by P in his video interview after the interview recommenced at 4pm on 4 June 2014 should be admissible – Whether the evidence of the walk-through of the scene and further statements made by Mr P to police on 6 June 2014 should be admissible.[2015] NZCA 530   CA 474/2015
Result

Judgment released. Details, including result, are suppressed until final disposition of trial.  
Hearing date

21 April 2016

Elias CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, Arnold, O’Regan JJ.
Judgment appealed from

P v R [2015] NZCA 530   11 Nov 2015_ not publicly available
Case name
P C  v The Queen 
Case number
SC 13/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 30 – Whether the evidence from a search of the appellants’ property is admissible pursuant to s 30 of the Evidence Act 2006.[2013] NZCA 653 CA 534/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 2 April 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
C1 and C2 v The Queen [2014] NZSC 33 (2 April 2014)
Judgment appealed from

CUTFIELD V R CA534/2013 [2013] NZCA 653   16 December 2013
Case name
Peter Guy Goodricke v The Queen
Case number
SC 111/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the procedure on appeal complied with the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 and New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.CRI  2010-485-26
Result

Notice of abandonment being lodged, the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed.

5 December 2014
Case name
Ifeanyi Jude Akulue  v The Queen
Case number
SC 38/2013
Summary
Pretrial ruling.[2013] NZCA 84  CA 675/2012
Result

Leave to appeal is granted on the following ground:

Was the Court of Appeal correct in finding the proposed defence evidence to be inadmissible?

8 May 2013

____________________

Appeal dismissed.

19 September 2013
Transcript

Hearing date : 14 August 2013

Elias CJ, McGrath, William Young, Glazebrook, Gault JJ.
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