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
Brian Johnson Mankelow v The Queen
Case number
SC 30/2007
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction – trial directions as to inferences – whether the Court of Appeal should have reconsidered its decision in 2005 that certain evidence was admissible in light of the decision of the Court of Appeal in R v Williams [2007] NZCA 52 – whether there has been a substantial miscarriage of justice. CA 443/06 19 April 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
20 July 2007
20 July 2007
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MANKELOW v R SC 30/2007 [20 July 2007] (PDF, 15 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Gregory Nielsen and Roderick William Nielsen v Dysart Timbers Limited
Case number
SC 38/2007
Summary
Civil appeal – interpretation of clause in deed of purchase of debt – whether deed extended to companies or entities other than those expressly mentioned in the deed.CA 253/05 22 May 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted.
9 August 2007
_________________________
Notice of abandonment being lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
3 June 2009
9 August 2007
_________________________
Notice of abandonment being lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
3 June 2009
Leave judgment - leave granted
Judgment appealed from
Number
SC38/2007
Case name
Tumu Te Heuheu v Attorney – General and others
Case number
SC 49/2007
Summary
Civil – Treaty of Waitangi – Crown Forest Assets Act 1989 – Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Settlement Deed, Part 12 – Settlement Deed aimed to settle historical breaches of Treaty in respect of 11 iwi or hapu affiliated with Te Arawa – Settlement Deed would be made unconditional by proposed legislation – Applicants sought declaration that Settlement Deed was in breach of Crown Forest Assets Act 1989, the agreements predating that Act, and the Crown’s fiduciary duties under the Treaty – High Court and Court of Appeal dismissed the claims. Whether the issues are justiciable – whether the agreement predating the 1989 Act (“the July 1989 Agreement” ) was a political compact and therefore unenforceable – whether Crown conduct is or was inconsistent with the July 1989 Agreement – the nature of the Crown’s fiduciary duty to Mäori under the Treaty and the July 1989 Agreement. CA 241/07; CA 247/07 2 July 2007
Leave judgment - leave granted
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted.
8 November 2007
______________________
Appeal withdrawn. No orders as to costs.
4 November 2008
Judgment appealed from
Case name
NZ Maori Council and The Federation of Maori Authorities Inc v Attorney-General and others
Case number
SC 50/2007
Summary
Civil – Treaty of Waitangi – Crown Forest Assets Act 1989 – Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Settlement Deed, Part 12 – Settlement Deed aimed to settle historical breaches of Treaty in respect of 11 iwi or hapu affiliated with Te Arawa – Settlement Deed would be made unconditional by proposed legislation – Applicants sought declaration that Settlement Deed was in breach of Crown Forest Assets Act 1989, the agreements predating that Act, and the Crown’s fiduciary duties under the Treaty – High Court and Court of Appeal dismissed the claims. Whether the issues are justiciable – whether the agreement predating the 1989 Act (“the July 1989 Agreement” ) was a political compact and therefore unenforceable – whether Crown conduct is or was inconsistent with the July 1989 Agreement – the nature of the Crown’s fiduciary duty to Mäori under the Treaty and the July 1989 Agreement. CA 241/07; CA 247/07 2 July 2007
Leave judgment - leave granted
Judgment appealed from
Grant to intervene
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted.
8 November 2007
__________________
Appeal withdrawn. No orders as to costs.
4 November 2008
Case name
Ross Alexander Williams v The Queen
Case number
SC 1/2006
Summary
Criminal law - appeal against conviction for selling and cultivation of cannabis- whether Court of Appeal erred in refusing to admit new evidence -whether Court of Appeal erred in finding the new evidence was not fresh- failure of counsel on appeal to follow instructions to call trial counsel to give evidence relating to preparation for trial misconduct of trial counsel - failure of counsel on appeal to argue that convictions lack evidentiary basis - whether trial Judge erred in admitting evidence obtained via an unlawful search. CA 63/05 9 December 2005.
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed.
24 May 2006
24 May 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
WILLIAMS V R SC 1/2006 [24 May 2006] (PDF, 23 KB)
Case name
Marlene Patricia Te Wii Haggie v Piki Tawhaki Haggie
Case number
SC 20/2006
Summary
Civil – appeal against Family Court decision on division of relationship property – whether Family Court had jurisdiction to make the orders it did – land listed as general land on certificate of title – argued by applicant in Family Court and High Court that land is customary Maori land and that both courts lacked jurisdiction to determine the issue – whether Privy Council retains inherent jurisdiction under Article the Third of the Treaty of Waitangi or under ss5 and 6 of the Imperial Laws Application Act to determine the status of land – whether status of the land is in question because Crown never “acquired tenure by fair purchase” – whether the extinguishment of the right of appeal to the Privy Council was in breach of Article the Third of the Treaty of Waitangi and the principles of equity in s99 Judicature Act 1908 – whether applicant entitled to appeal to the Privy Council for status orders declaring land in question Maori land – whether Privy Council remains the “court of last resort for native sovereign proprietors” of land – applicant seeks declaration that abolition of appeals to Privy Council ineffective in respect of “native sovereign proprietors”.
Result
Application for leave to amend the application for leave to appeal and Leave to Appeal both dismissed. Costs to respondent of $2,500.
10 May 2006
10 May 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
HAGGIE V HAGGIE SC 20/2006 [10 May 2006] (PDF, 19 KB)
Case name
Steven Samuels v The Proprietors of Matauri X Incorporation
Case number
SC 63/2006
Summary
Civil – Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 – direct appeal from Maori Appellate Court – validity of shareholders’ resolution to amend objects and powers of Incorporation to empower it to give effect to settlement with creditors – existence of mandate and validity of constitution of Incorporation – whether notice of shareholders’ meeting to non shareholder owners, their whanau and hapu required – whether Maori Appellate Court erred in finding that “implied demand” for poll voting process by any 5 persons present at meeting sufficient for compliance with s 275(5) . Maori Appellate Court - Appeal 2006/6 20 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
18 October 2006
18 October 2006
Substantive judgment
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Wi Te Tau Huata v The Queen
Case number
SC 84/2006
Summary
Summary Criminal – appeal against conviction – whether Court of Appeal erred in dismissing appeal – applicant convicted of four counts of fraud and one count of perverting the course of justice. CA 411/05 20 October 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
15 February 2007
15 February 2007
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
HUATA V R SC 84/2006 [15 February 2007] (PDF, 15 KB)
Case name
Norman William Jack and Judith Anne Jack v Murray Clive Guy
Case number
SC 1/2005
Summary
Nature of contract - whether contract between parties was one of sale and purchase or one of agency - whether contract breached - whether contract terminated - on whom the burden of proof rests when a defence is raised under s7(3)(c) Contractual Remedies Act 1979. CA164/03 1 December 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused.
11 March 2005
11 March 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JACK AND JACK V GUY SC SC 1/2005 [11 March 2005] (PDF, 20 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Bridgecorp Finance Limited v The Proprietors of Matauri X Incorporated
Case number
SC 28/2005
Summary
Civil appeal - appeal against decision of the Court of Appel - whether the effect of s358A of the Te Ture Whenua Maori Act 1993 was to restrict a Maori Incorporation's powers to its objects, such that there was a restriction on the Respondent's power to borrow - further seeks declaration that the mortgage is nonetheless enforceable under the Land Transfer Act 1952 and the principle of indefeasibility. CA 8/04 3 May 2005
Result
Leave to appeal granted. 2 June 2005 ___________________________A notice of abandonment having been lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.6 November 2006
Leave judgment - leave granted
Judgment appealed from
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