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
Richard Roberts v The Queen
Case number
SC 79/2006
Summary
Criminal appeal – appeal against conviction – whether failure by trial counsel to call evidence from applicant gave rise to a substantial miscarriage of justice – whether failure by appellate counsel to raise the above failure by trial counsel as a point of appeal gave rise to a substantial miscarriage of justice – whether the Supreme Court should entertain these grounds of appeal given they were not raised in the Court of Appeal – whether the Supreme Court should receive fresh evidence concerning these grounds of appeal. CA 446/05 14 September 2006
Result
Notice of abandonment being lodged, the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
7 December 2006
7 December 2006
Case name
Murray Alexander Menzies v The Queen
Case number
SC 80/2006
Summary
Criminal – Court of Appeal’s jurisdiction – alleged application and effect of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in this regard – alleged power of the Court to strike down or disregard legislation. CA 144/06 13 September 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
28 November 2006
28 November 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MENZIES v R SC 80/2006 [28 November 2006] (PDF, 62 KB)
Case name
Ross Ferguson Burns v The Queen
Case number
SC 81/2006
Summary
Criminal appeal – appeal against conviction – appellant convicted of indecent assault but acquitted of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection – whether there is an inconsistency between the verdicts such as to give rise to a substantial miscarriage of justice – whether admission of a child complainant’s evidence that altered in the course of successive evidential interviews gives rise to a substantial miscarriage of justice. CA 55/06 12 June 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 December 2006
18 December 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Brendon Douglas Neal Forrest v The Queen
Case number
SC 83/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against sentence – appearance of bias on part of one of the Judges hearing the appeal in the Court of Appeal – whether Court of Appeal erred in concluding that acknowledged factual error in sentencing remarks did not influence overall sentence imposed – whether Court of Appeal erred in regarding sentence as “stern” but not manifestly excessive. CA 83/06 12 October 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
11 December 2006
11 December 2006
Court of Appeal decision
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
David James Thomas Watt v The Queen
Case number
SC 86/2006
Summary
Summary Criminal – appeal against conviction – criminal breach of trust – applicant was trustee and executor of an estate – applicant billed estate and paid himself out of estate funds – finding that applicant knew he was not entitled to be paid – sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment – whether Court of Appeal erred in upholding conviction. CA 131/06 17 October 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
30 July 2007
Judgment appealed from
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kay Halton Skelton v Christopher Dean Jones
Case number
SC 90/2006
Summary
Civil appeal – abduction of parties’ child – applicant currently imprisoned for contempt for non-compliance with orders made by High Court under Habeas Corpus Act 2001 –appeal to Court of Appeal abandoned following decision now subject of application for leave to appeal in SC 88/2006 – applicant also facing criminal proceedings in relation to abduction – whether habeas corpus proceedings in High Court should be stayed or struck out as abuse of process – whether breach of natural justice prior to orders being made – whether sufficient evidential basis for orders – whether orders interim or final – whether High Court, having ordered release of child in discharge of its function under the Habeas Corpus Act, lacked jurisdiction to make further orders relating to swearing of affidavit by, and cross-examination of, applicant – whether orders, with or without accompanying safeguards, breached applicant’s right to silence as a person charged with a criminal offence (s 25 New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990).CIV 2006 419 1489 18 October 2006
Result
6 December 2006
________________________
Appeal dismissed. Costs reserved. Reasons to be given later.
________________________
Appeal dismissed. Costs reserved. Reasons to be given later.
Leave judgment - leave granted
Additional document
SKELTON v JONES SC 90/2006 [20 August 2009] (PDF, 10 KB)
Substantive judgment
Reasons for judgmnet
Transcript
Case name
Christopher John Manawatu v The Queen
Case number
SC 92/2006
Summary
Criminal – applicant convicted of aggravated robbery and driving while disqualified – applicant convicted in separate proceeding of three counts of manslaughter, and one charge each of reckless driving and excess blood alcohol – no appeal against conviction or sentence – whether s 398 Crimes Act infringes ss 14, 25(a) and 25(h) New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 or Articles 14(1), 19(2) and 26 of ICCPR – whether s 398 discriminates against criminal appellants, there being no equivalent provision applying to civil cases – whether Court of Appeal should have disclosed to counsel prior to the hearing that s 398(1) is in the process of being repealed - whether Court of Appeal should have made Declaration of Inconsistency of s 398 with BORA - whether undue appellate delay – whether there should be a reduction in sentence by reason of appellate delay. CA 111/05 CA 112/05 10 November 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
8 March 2007
8 March 2007
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Colyn David Stoves v The Queen
Case number
SC 93/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against sentence – recidivist drink driving offending – whether Court of Appeal erred in confirming sentencing judge’ s assessment of aggravating and mitigating factors – whether sentence partially reflected offending outside scope of present charges, in breach of s 25 New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 – whether Court of Appeal erred in confirming that applicant’s ‘poor responses’ to community work and bail obligations properly contributed to refusal of leave to apply for home detention CA 264/06 7 November 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 15 February 2007
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
STOVES v R SC 93/2006 [15 February 2007] (PDF, 13 KB)
Additional document
Judgment appealed from
Case name
John Anthony Reid v The Queen
Case number
SC 95/2006
Summary
Criminal – Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967 – trial Judge awarded costs to defendants acquitted on charges of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering brought by Serious Fraud Office – Court of Appeal majority held that High Court Judge had erred in failing to take account of risk of a substantial award inhibiting the exercise of proper prosecutorial function – whether the Court of Appeal erred in setting aside the cost award because it was “disproportionate” – whether Court of Appeal wrongly interpreted s 5(1) of the Act. CA 474/06 6 December 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal granted. 29 May 2007 ____________ Appeal allowed, Costs order in the High Court reinstated.
Costs to appellant in Court of Appeal, $12,000 together ith reasonable expenses.
Costs to appellant in Supreme Court, $20,000 together with reasonable expenses. 14 November 2007
Costs to appellant in Court of Appeal, $12,000 together ith reasonable expenses.
Costs to appellant in Supreme Court, $20,000 together with reasonable expenses. 14 November 2007
Leave judgment - leave granted
REID And Ors V R SC 95/2006 [29 May 2007] (PDF, 17 KB)
Hearing
10 and 11 October 2007_note SC3/2007
Substantive judgment / Media release
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