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.
22 September 2026
Case information summary (as at 18 September 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 112 KB)
Case information summary (as at 18 September 2026) – Currently unavailable
All years
Case name
Ratima James O'Donnell @ Ratima Joseph Osborne v The Queen
Case number
SC 86/2010
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction – Whether guilty plea was entered in error causing a miscarriage of justice.[2010] NZCA 372 CA 179/2008 16 August 2010.
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
10 November 2010
Case name
Kent James Bond v The Queen
Case number
SC 91/2010
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction and sentence – Whether evidence was admissible – Whether the trial judge misdirected the jury in summing up – Whether the sentence was excessive.[2010] NZCA 381 CA 109/2010 18 August 2010.
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
BOND v R SC 91/2010 [23 November 2010] (PDF, 43 KB)
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
23 November 2010
Case name
Winston James Shane Young v The Queen
Case number
SC 95/2010
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the appellant’s conviction; whether the trial judge erred in his summing up to the jury; whether guilty verdict unreasonable.[2010] NZCA 309 CA 555/2009 19 July 2010.
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
YOUNG v R SC 95/2010 [8 December 2010] (PDF, 44 KB)
Dates
Application for leave to appeal refused.
8 December 2010
Case name
Peter Muller v The Queen
Case number
SC 104/2010
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction – whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s application to adduce fresh alibi evidence – whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the admission of identification evidence at trial, while in error, did not amount to a miscarriage of justice requiring the setting aside of the verdict – whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that no miscarriage of justice arose from the failure to grant a stay due to delay[2010] NZCA 380 CA 439/2009 18 August 2010
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MULLER v R SC 104/2010 [16 D ecember 2010 (PDF, 53 KB)
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
16 December 2010.
Case name
Peter David Buddle v The Queen
Case number
SC 43/2009
Summary
Criminal – Appeal against conviction – Crimes Act 1961 – Sexual offending – Criminal procedure – Exercise of s 374 discretion to discharge jury without their giving of a verdict – Whether trial Judge had authority to discharge jury at first trial on “a hung jury aspect” – Whether second trial a nullity in respect of all charges – Whether miscarriage of justice established.[2009] NZCA 184 CA 416/2008 14 May 2009
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted.
22 June 2009
22 June 2009
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
BUDDLE v R SC 43/2009 [22 June 2009] (PDF, 9 KB)
Substantive judgment
BUDDLE v R SC 43/2009 [26 November 2009] (PDF, 132 KB)
Result
Appeal allowed, Convictions set aside. New Trial ordered on three counts.
26 November 2009
Hearing
13 August 2009
Case name
Vincent Ross Siemer v Michael Peter Stiassney and Korda Mentha
Case number
SC 69/2009
Summary
Civil Appeal – natural justice – orders were made in the High Court against the applicant, the publisher of several websites, in respect of a defamation claim – whether the High Court judge was correct to allow an amended statement of claim to be filed and proceed to an ex parte hearing on 8 October 2008 – whether the High Court judge erred in awarding the respondent $940,000 in damages plus costs and issuing a permanent injunction against the applicant prohibiting several defamatory publications – whether the High Court judge misrepresented evidence in finding against the applicant.Civ 2005 404 001808 23 December 2009
Result
Notice of abandonment being lodged, the application is deemed to be dismissed
Case name
Peter Morrison Petryszick v The Queen
Case number
SC 103/2009
Summary
Criminal – Appeal against conviction – Criminal Procedure – Abuse of Process – Delay – Appellant granted adjournment by Court of Appeal on strict terms with which he failed to comply – Whether Court of Appeal erred in concluding no merit in grounds of appeal raised – Whether Court of Appeal erred in not affording the appellant additional time to investigate grounds of complaint.[2009] NZCA 515 CA 269/2008 27 October 2009
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted on the question whether the applicant was denied his right to appeal.
20 April 2010
___________________
A The appeal is allowed and the order made by the Court of Appeal set aside. B The appellant’ s appeal against his conviction is remitted to the Court of Appeal for determination in accordance with s 385(1) of the Crimes Act 1961.
24 August 2010
20 April 2010
___________________
A The appeal is allowed and the order made by the Court of Appeal set aside. B The appellant’ s appeal against his conviction is remitted to the Court of Appeal for determination in accordance with s 385(1) of the Crimes Act 1961.
24 August 2010
Transcripts
- sc 103 2009 petryszick peter morrison v r (PDF, 431 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2010] NZSC 105 (PDF, 87 KB)
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
PETRYSZICK v R SC 103/2009 [24 August 2010] (PDF, 148 KB)
Substantive judgment / Media release
Judgment appealed from
Transcript
Elias CJ, Blanchard, Tipping, McGrath, Anderson JJ
Case name
Mana PropertyTrustee Ltd v James Development Ltd
Case number
SC 105/2009
Summary
Civil – Interpreting terms of a sale and purchase agreement – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by equating non-performance at the time of settlement with an automatic right to cancel – Whether the Court of Appeal were wrong to find that clause 18.3 of the agreement for sale and purchase was essential.[2009] NZCA 483 CA 241/2000 19 October 2009
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted.
1 March 2010
______________________
Appeal allowed. It is declared that the respondent’ s purported cancellation on 3 November 2008 of its contract with the appellant was of no effect. The proceeding is remitted to the High Court for outstanding issues to be determined in light of this judgment. The costs order made in the Court of Appeal is set aside. Costs are reserved. Counsel should file memoranda.
23 July 2010
1 March 2010
______________________
Appeal allowed. It is declared that the respondent’ s purported cancellation on 3 November 2008 of its contract with the appellant was of no effect. The proceeding is remitted to the High Court for outstanding issues to be determined in light of this judgment. The costs order made in the Court of Appeal is set aside. Costs are reserved. Counsel should file memoranda.
23 July 2010
Media Releases
- sc 105 2009 mana v james 23 july 2010 (PDF, 85 KB)
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Transcript
Substantive judgment /Media release
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Neville James Gibson v Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
Case number
SC 8/2008
Summary
Civil Appeal – proceedings against former legal counsel - whether the Court of Appeal made accurate findings of fact – whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the respondent had complied with discovery obligations – whether the Court of Appeal had regard to all relevant evidence – whether the Court of Appeal was correct to find that the applicant would not have been entitled to legal aid in earlier proceedings against a third party – whether the respondent had a conflict of interest in earlier proceedings - whether the Court should have considered the applicant’ s financial position when awarding costs against him[2007] NZCA 595 CA 202/065, CA 33/06 21 December 2007
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. Costs $2.500 to respondent. 1 May 2008
Case name
Christopher James Fullbeck Mosley v The Queen
Case number
SC 58/2008
Summary
Criminal appeal – trial took place with ten jurors – whether the Court of Appeal erred in confirming that there were “exceptional circumstances relating to the trial” which justified continuing with ten jurors under s 374 Crimes Act 1961 – whether the Court of Appeal was wrong to conclude that s 374(8) excluded a right to review the trial Judge’ s decision to discharge the 12th and 11th jurors.[2008] NZCA 319 CA 612/2007 25 August 2008
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MOSLEY v R SC 58/2008 [17 November 2008] (PDF, 17 KB)
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
17 November 2008.
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