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.
28 November 2025
Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 120 KB)
All years
Case name
Deo Dhatt Sharma v The Queen
Case number
SC 60/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against assault convictions – whether acknowledged failure of natural justice and inadequate answer to jury question on one assault count tainted verdicts on other counts – whether Court of Appeal erred in applying proviso in s 385(1) Crimes Act 1961 to dismiss appeals relating to other counts – whether Court of Appeal entitled to apply the proviso in breach of right to fair trial affirmed in s 25(a) New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 – obligations of trial Judge in ensuring fair trial for unrepresented accused.
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
2 October 2006
2 October 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SHARMA v R SC 60/2006 [2 October 2006] (PDF, 16 KB)
Case name
Michael John Jones v The Queen
Case number
SC 65/2006
Summary
Criminal – defendant pleaded guilty on arraignment to counts of assault with a weapon and threatening to kill – whether Court of Appeal erred in dismissing appeal against conviction on the ground of undue delay. CA 27/06 25 July 2006
Result
10 October 2006
Notice of Abandonment being lodged, the application is deemed to be dismissed.
Notice of Abandonment being lodged, the application is deemed to be dismissed.
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Darryl Shane Wilson v The Queen
Case number
SC 66/2006
Summary
Criminal appeal – appeal against sentence – whether application of sentencing guidelines in R v Taueki [2005] 3 NZLR 372 to offending which took place before the issue of that decision is contrary to the prohibition on retrospective increases in penalty in s 25(g) of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, s 6(1) of the Sentencing Act 2002, various international covenants, and/or good sentencing practice/fairness.CA 334/05 31 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
18 October 2006
18 October 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
WILSON V R SC 66/2006 [18 October 2006] (PDF, 19 KB)
Case name
Brent John Gilchrist v The Queen
Case number
SC 69/2006
Summary
Criminal – Tax Administration Act – tax evasion – applicant convicted of knowingly failing to provide Commissioner of Inland Revenue with information when required to do so pursuant to a notice to furnish information – standard of proof of delegation of authority from Commissioner – standard of intent to evade payment of tax.CA 29/06 18 August 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted.
29 September 2006
________________
Appeal dismissed.
15 December 2006
Transcript
Substantive judgment / Media release
Leave judgment - leave granted
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Alain Michael Yves Mafart and Dominique Angela Francoise Prieur v Television New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 70/2006
Summary
Civil – Criminal Proceedings (Search of Court Records) Rules 1974 – video footage of guilty pleas in 1985 trial for bombing of Rainbow Warrior – whether Court of Appeal erred in failing adequately to take account of the administration of justice – whether Court of Appeal erred in failing to protect privacy interests of appellants, or in balancing those interests with freedom of information – whether Court of Appeal erred in departing from previous decisions in respect of the footage – whether Court of Appeal and High Court erred in failing to uphold assurance given to counsel by Judge in 1985 in respect of footage – whether assurance overtaken by consent orders.CA 92/05 7 and 10 August 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. Costs of $2,500 to respondent. 26 September 2006
Judgment appealed from
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Myles James de Montalk v The Queen
Case number
SC 71/2006
Summary
Criminal – application for leave to appeal out of time – whether Court of Appeal’s alleged refusal to disclose evidence was tainted by racial, religious, or ethnical bias – whether Court of Appeal thereby in breach of New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, s 25(a).CA 11/04 27 June 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
18 October 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Michael Frank Templeton v The Queen
Case number
SC 73/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction and sentence – party to firearms offences – counsel incompetence – whether trial counsel misled or pressured applicant into not giving evidence – whether applicant fit to stand trial – whether sentence manifestly excessive. CA 460/05 6 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
16 February 2007
16 February 2007
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TEMPLETON v R SC 73/2006 [16 February 2007] (PDF, 15 KB)
Case name
Ricardo Genovese v The Queen
Case number
SC 74/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction – allegation that applicant denied his right to representation – refusal by trial judge of adjournment to allow counsel to familiarise himself with the file – whether this amounted to breach of Bill of Rights Act – whether warrants defective in inferring applicant was legally represented – whether counsel failed to raise appeal against sentence and Bill of Rights in Court of Appeal. CA 151/02 CA 151/02 20 September 2005
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
28 November 2006
28 November 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GENOVESE v R SC 74/2006 [28 November 2006] (PDF, 79 KB)
Case name
Paul Bicknell v Tauranga District Court
Case number
SC 77/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal from decision in case stated proceeding – private prosecution by applicant for the alleged theft of dairy cattle in 1994 – whether District Court Judge erred in failing to issue warrants for the arrest of three witnesses at trial – District Court Judge found he did not have the power to issue a warrant as no Notice of Summons had been served on the witnesses under s 181(3) Summary Proceedings Act 1957 – Court staff had failed to serve notice of the hearing date on witnesses – applicant not competent to serve such a notice. CA234/05 11 September 2006
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
8 December 2006
8 December 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Geoffrey Paul Affleck v The Queen
Case number
SC 78/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction – trial conducted on basis that applicant’s wife was asleep during alleged sexual offending against daughter’s friend – wife present in Court but did not give evidence – wife gave evidence to Court of Appeal that she was awake and witnessed no offending – whether Court of Appeal erred in finding it “inconceivable” that such crucial evidence would not have been communicated to, or would have been ignored by, counsel – whether Court of Appeal erred in rejecting evidence as honest but “implausible” and in refusing to order a re-trial. CA 446/05 14 September 2006
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 December 2006
4 December 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Page 103 of 109