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
Tristan Lee Tamati v The King
Case number
SC 48/2024
Summary

Criminal Appeal
Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Tamati v R [2024] NZCA 113).
B The approved questions are as follows:
(a) whether errors by trial counsel may have occasioned a miscarriage of justice; and
(b) whether in the circumstances a reliability warning was required.
2 August 2024
________________________________________________
The appeal is dismissed.                                                                                                                                          
03 July 2025
Date of hearing
25 February 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
Transcripts
Case Synopses
Media Releases
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
[2024] NZCA 113
Leave judgment - leave granted
TAMATI v R [2024] NZSC 91 [2 August 2024] (PDF, 135 KB)
Substantive judgment
TAMATI v R [2025] NZSC 70 [3 July 2025] (PDF, 287 KB)
Videos
Case name
J (SC 64/2024) v The King
Case number
SC 64/2024
Summary
Criminal 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.
21 May 2025
High Court decision
R v L [2022] NZHC 2364 [15 September 2022]
Court of Appeal decision
J (CA519/2022) v R [2024] NZCA 21 [19 February 2024]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
J (SC 64/2024) v R [2025] NZSC 56 [21 May 2025] (PDF, 155 KB)
Case name
P (SC 66/2024) v The King
Case number
SC 66/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B We make an order prohibiting publication of this judgment until 2.00 pm on 22 October 2024.
8 October 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Layne Brent Ford v The King
Case number
SC 67/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 September 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
FORD v R [2024] NZCA 239 [18 June 2024]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
LAYNE BRENT FORD v R [2024] NZSC 118 [18 September 2024] (PDF, 172 KB)
Case name
Seiana Fakaosilea v The King
Case number
SC 68/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 October 2024
High Court decision
R v FAKAOSILEA AND OTHERS [2022] NZHC 3207 [1 December 2022]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
FAKAOSILEA v R [2024] NZSC 137 [9 October 2024] (PDF, 194 KB)
Case name
T (SC 71/2024) v The King
Case number
SC 71/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
3 October 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
T (SC 71/2024) v R [2024] NZSC 128 [3 October 2024] (PDF, 160 KB)
Case name
Gabriel Yad-Elohim v The King
Case number
SC 73/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed, without prejudice to Mr Yad-Elohim’s right to seek leave to appeal after the Court of Appeal has considered any recall application.
6 December 2024
High Court decision
R v YAD-ELOHIM [2018] NZHC 2494 [20 September 2018]
Court of Appeal decision
YAD-ELOHIM v R [2023] NZCA 136 [1 May 2023]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
YAD-ELOHIM v R [2024] NZSC 168 [6 December 2024] (PDF, 160 KB)
Case name
Gabriel Yad-Elohim v The King
Case number
SC 74/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed, without prejudice to Mr Yad-Elohim’s right to seek leave to appeal after the Court of Appeal has considered any recall application.
6 December 2024
High Court decision
R v YAD-ELOHIM [2018] NZHC 2494 [20 September 2018]
Court of Appeal decision
YAD-ELOHIM v R [2023] NZCA 136 [1 May 2023]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
YAD-ELOHIM v R [2024] NZSC 168 [6 December 2024] (PDF, 160 KB)
Case name
S (SC 75/2024) v The King
Case number
SC 75/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
21 October 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
S v R [2024] NZCA 235 [18 June 2024]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
S (SC 75/2024) v R [2024] NZSC 140 [21 October 2024] (PDF, 191 KB)
Case name
Southern Cheyenne Thompson v The King
Case number
SC 76/2024
Summary

Criminal Appeal 
Result

A The application for leave to appeal is granted.
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
5 March 2026
Date of hearing
07 July 2026
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Ellen France, Williams, Miller and Cooke JJ
Submissions from counsel
Case Synopses
High Court decision
R v T [2022] NZHC 1038 [13 May 2022]
Court of Appeal decision
THOMPSON v R [2024] NZCA 266 [25 June 2024]
Leave judgment - leave granted
THOMPSON v R [2026] NZSC 12 [5 March 2026] (PDF, 105 KB)
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