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
Peter Gomm, Jennifer Mary Shipley and Clive William Charles Tilby v Mainzeal Property and Construction Limited (in liquidation), Andrew James Bethell, Richard Ciliang Yan and Andrew McKay
Case number
SC 52/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal and Cross Appeal
Result
A The appeals by the directors are dismissed.
B The cross-appeal by the liquidators is allowed to the extent that in lieu of the remittal of the proceedings back to the High Court, we order the directors to contribute to the assets of Mainzeal $39.8 million together with interest at prescribed rates since 28 February 2013 with the liabilities of Dame Jennifer Shipley and Messrs Tilby and Gomm each limited to $6.6 million and interest.
C The directors are to pay costs in the sum of $65,000 together with reasonable disbursements.
25 August 2023
B The cross-appeal by the liquidators is allowed to the extent that in lieu of the remittal of the proceedings back to the High Court, we order the directors to contribute to the assets of Mainzeal $39.8 million together with interest at prescribed rates since 28 February 2013 with the liabilities of Dame Jennifer Shipley and Messrs Tilby and Gomm each limited to $6.6 million and interest.
C The directors are to pay costs in the sum of $65,000 together with reasonable disbursements.
25 August 2023
Date of hearing
07 March 2022
- 11 March 2022
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan and Ellen France JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 7 - 11 March 2022 (PDF, 2 MB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing Mon 7 March - Fri 11 March 2022 (PDF, 436 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2023] NZSC 113 (PDF, 342 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Christine Marama Cowan and Te Rahui John Cowan v John Arthur Cowan, Kurt Thomas Gibbons and 170 Queens Drive Limited.
Case number
SC 130/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Cowan v Cowan [2021] NZCA 463).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal to that Court.
20 December 2021
___________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.
12 April 2022
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal to that Court.
20 December 2021
___________________________________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.
12 April 2022
Date of hearing
15 February 2022
Judges
Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France, Williams, JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 15 December 2021 (PDF, 214 KB)
- Hearing date 15 February 2022 (PDF, 276 KB)
Media Releases
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Keanu Head, James Logie Wright, Samuel Gregory, Rebecca Langford, Ashleigh Crichton, Tamara Joan Evans, Dylan Crook and Wendy Kain v Chief Executive of the Inland Revenue Department and Madison Recruitment Limited
Case number
SC 131/2021
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 granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicants must pay each respondent costs of $2,500.
2 March 2022
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicants must pay each respondent costs of $2,500.
2 March 2022
Employment Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Stephen James Henare v The Queen
Case number
SC 44/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
16 September 2020
16 September 2020
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Glenn William Schaeffer v James Joseph Murren as Trustee of the James J Murren Spendthrift Trust and and Daniel Lee
Case number
SC 50/2020
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 costs of $2,500.
22 September 2020
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
22 September 2020
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Jeremy James McGuire v New Zealand Law Society
Case number
SC 55/2020
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 respondent costs of $2,500.
20 October 2020
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
20 October 2020
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
George Tama Nicholls v Mark Steven Nicholls, Airini Pirihiria Tukerangi, Delace William James, Kahutoroa Mataia Tukerangi, Viv Tama Nicholls, Anita Mari Norman and Sarah Jane Nicholls as trustees of the Ahu Whenua Trust known as The W T Nicholls Trust
Case number
SC 76/2020
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
19 February 2021
B There is no order as to costs.
19 February 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
James Charles Stringer v Colin Graeme Craig, Helen Ruth Craig, Angela Maria Storr, Kevin Eric Stitt and Stephen Dylan Taylor
Case number
SC 96/2020
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 granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the first respondent costs of $2,500.
16 February 2021
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the first respondent costs of $2,500.
16 February 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
ESR Group (NZ) Limited v Ian James Burden, PGT-Reclaimed (International) Limited and Plantation Grown Timbers (Vietnam) Limited
Case number
SC 105/2020
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 three respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
11 March 2021
B The applicant must pay the three respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
11 March 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Ian James Burden, PGT-Reclaimed (International) Limited and Plantation Grown Timbers (Vietnam) Limited v ESR Group (NZ) Limited
Case number
SC 106/2020
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.
8 April 2021
8 April 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Videos
- SC 96/2023 Ian James Burden and Ors v ESR Group (NZ) Limited (Recorded, 26 April 2024)
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