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.
17 August 2026
Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 128 KB)
All years
Case name
George Robert Jolley v The King
Case number
SC 109/2018
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the jury vetting process and other irregularities in the trial resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
1 April 2019
_________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 1 April 2019 (Jolley v R [2019] NZSC 34) is dismissed.
19 December 2022
1 April 2019
_________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 1 April 2019 (Jolley v R [2019] NZSC 34) is dismissed.
19 December 2022
Date of hearing
01 November 2022
Judges
Winkelman CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France and Kós JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 1 November 2022 Transcript (PDF, 303 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
David Keith Silby v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 6/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Criminal Procedure Act 2011, s 237 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining leave to bring a second appeal against conviction and sentence in respect of offences under the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 7 April 2017
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
George Charlie Baker v The Queen
Case number
SC 109/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Sentence Appeal – Whether the High Court erred in imposing a minimum term of preventive detention longer than the maximum period of imprisonment for the offending.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
19 December 2017
19 December 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
High Court decision
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Amanda Adele White and Anne Leoline Emily Freeman v Christopher Maurice Lynch and Stuart Gordon Spence
Case number
SC 33/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Court of Appeal Civil Rules 2005 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the Deputy Registrar’s decision to decline to dispense with security for costs. [2016] NZCA 78 CA 740/2015
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
17 May 2016
17 May 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
HC judgment
HC judgment
Case name
Amanda Adele White and Anne Leoline Emily Freeman v Christopher Maurice Lynch and Stuart Gordon Spence
Case number
SC 42/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Judicature Act 1908, s 61A(2) - Whether the Court of Appeal erred in determining that the applicants had no further right of review. [2016] NZCA 149 CA 740/2015
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed. 17 May 2016
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
CA judgment
Case name
Amanda Adele White and Anne Leoline Emily Freeman v Christopher Maurice Lynch and Stuart Gordon Spence
Case number
SC 137/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in refusing to grant an extension of time to file case on appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in refusing application to debar counsel. [2016] NZCA 513 CA740/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
16 February 2017
________________
A The application to recall the judgment is dismissed.
B We direct the Registrar not to accept any further applications by the applicants in respect of their dispute with the respondents.
16 March 2017
16 February 2017
________________
A The application to recall the judgment is dismissed.
B We direct the Registrar not to accept any further applications by the applicants in respect of their dispute with the respondents.
16 March 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Robert George Keen v The Queen
Case number
SC 65/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing Mr Keen’s appeal against an order for forfeiture made by the District Court under s 32(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.[2015] NZCA 221
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
13 October 2015
13 October 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Jeremy George Edward McLaughlin v The Queen
Case number
SC 97/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether DNA evidence was misused at trial – Whether the trial judge’s direction as to lies was inadequate – Whether a direction under s 32 Evidence Act 2006 was required – Whether the summing up was unfair. [2015] NZCA 339 CA 752/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
3 November 2015
3 November 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Lindsay James Trevor Smallbone v George Paul London, Ian Neville Wishart, Howling at the Moon Publishing Limited, Paulette Merle London
Case number
SC 109/2015
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the High Court was correct to recall the original judgment issued post verdict in a civil jury trial for defamation – Whether the High Court had jurisdiction to order a retrial post verdict – Whether new evidence justified ordering a retrial.[2015] NZCA 391 CA 324/2014
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the first and fourth respondents. 17 December 2015
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
West City Construction Limited v Henry David Levin and David Stuart Vance as liquidators of St George Developments Limited (in liquidation)
Case number
SC 43/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that there was no agreement to assign and/or equitable assignment of the bond monies – Whether the deed of assignment enabled the applicant to receive more towards the satisfaction of debt than it would receive or be likely to receive in the debtor’s liquidation – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its assessment of the sum payable under s 295 of the Companies Act 1993.[2014] NZCA 98 CA 101/2013
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Levin v West City Construction [2014] NZCA 98).
B The approved grounds of appeal are:
Whether the assignment of the development bond is a voidable transaction under s 292 of the Companies Act 1993; and
Whether the Court of Appeal correctly exercised the discretion under s 295 of the Companies Act.
7 August 2014
_______________________________________
A The appeal is allowed, the judgment of the Court of Appeal is reversed and the judgment of the Associate Judge in the High Court is restored.
B The liquidators are to pay the appellant costs and disbursements in respect of the appeal to the Court of Appeal to be fixed by that Court and costs in relation to the appeal to this Court in the sum of $25,000 together with reasonable disbursements.
15 December 2014
B The approved grounds of appeal are:
Whether the assignment of the development bond is a voidable transaction under s 292 of the Companies Act 1993; and
Whether the Court of Appeal correctly exercised the discretion under s 295 of the Companies Act.
7 August 2014
_______________________________________
A The appeal is allowed, the judgment of the Court of Appeal is reversed and the judgment of the Associate Judge in the High Court is restored.
B The liquidators are to pay the appellant costs and disbursements in respect of the appeal to the Court of Appeal to be fixed by that Court and costs in relation to the appeal to this Court in the sum of $25,000 together with reasonable disbursements.
15 December 2014
Transcripts
- Hearing date 17 November 2014 (PDF, 462 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2014] NZSC 183 (PDF, 192 KB)
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
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