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.

19 June 2026

Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 126 KB) 

All years

Case name
James Bryson v Three Foot Six Limited
Case number
SC CIV 24/2004
Summary
Employment appeal - whether model maker working for the respondent was an employee or a independent contractor - interpretation of "employee" under s6 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 -whether film industry practice concerning manner of contracting staff relevant to determination - weight to be accorded to contractual label. CA 246/03 12 November 2004
Result
Gault J; Blanchard J. Leave to appeal granted. 22 February 2005 _____________________ New Zealand Council of Trade Unions granted Intervener status. 14 March 2005 ______________ Business New Zealand granted Intervener status. 16 March 2005 __________________________ The appeal is allowed. The decision of the Employment Court is restored. Costs in favour of the appellant against the respondent will be fixed by the Court following the receipt of written submissions. 16 June 2005 ___________________________ Judgment of the Court on Costs issued. 10 August 2005
Transcripts
Leave judgment - leave granted
JAMES BRYSON V THREE FOOT SIX LIMITED SC SC CIV 24/2004 [22 February 2005]
Substantive judgment
BRYSON V THREE FOOT SIX LIMITED SC CIV 24/2004 [16 June 2005] (PDF, 91 KB)
Supreme court decision
costs BRYSON V THREE FOOT SIX LIMITED SC CIV 24/2004 [10 August 2005] (PDF, 17 KB)
Case name
Matthew James Tehau Teepa
Case number
SC CRI 9/2004
Summary
Criminal appeal against sentence - whether minimum term of imprisonment of 4 years excessive on basis of failure to recognise again the relevant mitigating factors. CA79/04 24 July 2004
Result
Leave to appeal refused 14 October 2004
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TEEPA V R SC SC CRI 9/2004 [14 October 2004] (PDF, 16 KB)
Judgment appealed from
NZLII : TEEPA v R [2004] NZCA 161 (27 July 2004)
Case name
Thomas Maxwell Clark v The Queen
Case number
SC CRI 20/2004
Summary
Criminal appeal against pre-trial ruling - whether Judge erred in declining to order severance of two counts of sexual offending - whether the evidence of mutual compaints sufficiently qualified as similar fact evidence - what the appropriate test for admission of similar fact evidence should be - whether the issue of possible collusion between the two complainants should have been explored on a voir dire before trial. CA 306/04 6 December 2004
Result
Application for leave dismissed. 10 May 2005
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CLARK V R SC CRI 20/2004 [10 May 2005] (PDF, 39 KB)
Transcript
Hearing date : 6 April 2005
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