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
Peter Daniel Staite, Jean Tanirau-Carston and Lynette Kathleen Palmer as trustees and representatives of the beneficiaries of the Whaoa No 1 Lands Trust, Peter Daniel Staite, Jean Tanirau-Carston, Teressa Hurihanganui, Dorothy Raroa and Lynette Kathleen P
Case number
SC 72/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
20 October 2022
High Court decision
STAITE v KUSABS [2017] NZHC 416 [13 March 2017]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PETER DANIEL STAITE v ANDREW MARUTUEHU KUSABS [2022] NZSC 123 [20 October 2022] (PDF, 99 KB)
Case name
James Dillon Stevens v The King
Case number
SC 73/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 October 2022
High Court decision
R v STEVENS [2021] NZHC 2026 [5 August 2021]
Court of Appeal decision
STEVENS v R [2022] NZCA 275 [29 June 2022]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JAMES DILLON STEVENS v R [2022] NZSC 120 [18 October 2022] (PDF, 154 KB)
Case name
Harry Memelink v Collins & May Law
Case number
SC 74/2022
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 dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
10 November 2022
________________________________________________________
The application for recall is dismissed.
23 February 2024
________________________________________________________

A    The second application for recall is dismissed.
B    The Registrar is directed not to accept for filing any further application from the applicant in relation to this matter.
17 August 2026
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
MEMELINK v COLLINS & MAY LAW [2020] NZCA 62 [25 March 2020]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
HARRY MEMELINK v COLLINS & MAY LAW [2022] NZSC 130 [10 November 2022] (PDF, 193 KB)
Recall judgment
HARRY MEMELINK v COLLINS & MAY LAW [2024] NZSC 16 [23 February 2024] (PDF, 177 KB)
Recall judgment
MEMELINK v COLLINS & MAY LAW [2026] NZSC 112 [17 August 2026] (PDF, 140 KB)
Case name
Justin Richard Burke v The King
Case number
SC 75/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Burke v R [2022] NZCA 279).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal correctly interpreted and applied s 66(2) of the Crimes Act 1961.
21 October 2022
__________________________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B We seek submissions from counsel on the consequential orders that should follow, as set out at [175] of the reasons of the Court.
22 April 2024
_________________________________________________________________________________
A The appellant’s conviction for manslaughter is quashed.
B An order is made under ss 234(2) and 241(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 substituting a conviction for injuring with intent to injure under s 189(2) of the Crimes Act 1961.
C An order is made under ss 234(5) and 241(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 substituting a sentence of three years’ imprisonment.
16 May 2024
Date of hearing
20 March 2023 - 21 March 2023
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Williams, Kós JJ | Venue Christchurch High Court Courtroom 12
Submissions from counsel
Transcripts
Case Synopses
Media Releases
High Court decision
R v BURKE [2021] NZHC 136 [10 February 2021]
Court of Appeal decision
BURKE v R [2022] NZCA 279 [29 June 2022]
Leave judgment - leave granted
JUSTIN RICHARD BURKE v R [2022] NZSC 124 [21 October 2022] (PDF, 67 KB)
Substantive judgment
JUSTIN RICHARD BURKE v R [2024] NZSC 37 [22 April 2024] (PDF, 1 MB)
Substantive judgment
JUSTIN RICHARD BURKE v R [2024] NZSC 59 [16 May 2024] (PDF, 181 KB)
Videos
Case name
Jiaxin Finance Limited, Qiang Fu and Fuqin Che v The King
Case number
SC 76/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 November 2022
High Court decision
R v QF, FC and JFL [2019] NZHC 3058 [22 November 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JIAXIN FINANCE LIMITED (IN LIQUIDATION) v R [2022] NZSC 127 [4 November 2022] (PDF, 207 KB)
Case name
H (SC 77/2022) v The Queen
Case number
SC 77/2022
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 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.
25 August 2022
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Tevita Kulu v The King
Case number
SC 78/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
27 March 2023
High Court decision
R v FANGUPO [2019] NZHC 2896 [7 November 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
KULU v R [2022] NZCA 284 [1 July 2022]
Case name
Kyle Ashley Kotze v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 79/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for an extention of time to apply for leave to appeal is dismissed.
31 October 2022
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
KYLE ASHLEY KOTZE v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2022] NZSC 126 [31 October 2022] (PDF, 158 KB)
Case name
Michael John Smith v The Attorney-General
Case number
SC 80/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
9 September 2023
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Gautam Jindal v Jarden Securities Limited, NZX Limited and Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
Case number
SC 81/2022
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 respondents (collectively) costs of $2,500.
19 October 2022
High Court decision
JINDAL v OM FINANCIAL LIMITED [2020] NZHC 1993 [7 August 2020]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GAUTAM JINDAL v JARDEN SECURITIES LIMITED (FORMERLY OM FINANCIAL LIMITED) [2022] NZSC 122 [19 October 2022] (PDF, 157 KB)
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