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
Abdihafid Ali Mohamed v The King
Case number
SC 58/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 September 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
MOHAMED v THE KING [2023] NZCA 143 [3 May 2023]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ABDIHAFID ALI MOHAMED v R [2023] NZSC 117 [4 September 2023] (PDF, 180 KB)
Case name
W (SC 60/2023) v The King
Case number
SC 60/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Mr Hoggart’s application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The applications for leave to appeal are granted in part ([W] v R [2023] NZCA 155). The approved questions are:
1 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that a media take down order was not required in the circumstances of this case.
2 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the verdicts were not unreasonable in light of admissible evidence relating to the potential culpability of Lester Hamilton (deceased).
C The applications for leave to appeal are otherwise dismissed.
D Interim order suppressing the name of W and any identifying particulars made on 9 June 2023 is to continue until further order.
12 December 2023
Date of hearing
06 August 2024 - 07 August 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case Synopses
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
W (SC 60/2023) v R and MARK JOSEPH HOGGART v R [2023] NZSC 164 [12 December 2023] (PDF, 197 KB)
Case name
Damien Shane Kuru v The King
Case number
SC 61/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Kuru v R [2023] NZCA 150).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
10 August 2023
__________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The appellant’s conviction is set aside.
C Order under ss 233(3)(a) and 241(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 that a judgment of acquittal be entered.
20 December 2024
Date of hearing
04 March 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Submissions from counsel
Transcripts
Case Synopses
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
DAMIEN SHANE KURU v R [2023] NZSC 102 [10 August 2023] (PDF, 156 KB)
Substantive judgment
KURU v R [2024] NZSC 184 [20 December 2024] (PDF, 829 KB)
Videos
Case name
Donald Dev Kumar Singh v The King
Case number
SC 68/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
27 October 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
SINGH v R [2023] NZCA 220 [9 June 2023]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DONALD DEV KUMAR SINGH v R [2023] NZSC 141 [27 October 2023] (PDF, 175 KB)
Case name
H (SC 69/2023) v The King
Case number
SC 69/2023
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.
20 December 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
H (CA225/2022) v R [2023] NZCA 83 [30 March 2023
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
[2023] NZSC 166 (PDF, 155 KB)
Case name
H (SC 74/2023) v The King
Case number
SC 74/2023
Summary

Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result

A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is abandoned
14 August 2025
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Danny John Cancian v Tauranga City Council
Case number
SC 75/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
19 September 2023
High Court decision
CANCIAN v TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL [2022] NZHC 556 [28 March 2022]
Court of Appeal decision
CANCIAN v TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL [2023] NZCA 257 [26 June 2023]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DANNY JOHN CANCIAN v TAURANGA CITY COUNCIL [2023] NZSC 125 [19 September 2023] (PDF, 154 KB)
Case name
Damon Exley v NZME Publishing Limited and The King
Case number
SC 76/2023
Summary

Criminal Appeal
Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (NZME Publishing Ltd v E [2023] NZCA 258).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to quash the High Court takedown order.
19 October 2023
_________________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The Court of Appeal was not correct to quash the High Court takedown order insofar as it related to the specific URLs identified in the takedown application.
30 July 2025
Date of hearing
06 August 2024 - 07 August 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case Synopses
Media Releases
Substantive judgment
EXLEY v NZME PUBLISHING LIMITED [2025] NZSC 90 [30 July 2025] (PDF, 371 KB)
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Supreme court decision
Pre-trial judgment: E (SC 76/2023) v NZME PUBLISHING LIMITED [2023] NZSC 85 [11 July 2023] (PDF, 172 KB)
Leave judgment - leave granted
DAMON EXLEY v NZME PUBLISHING LIMITED [2023] NZSC 136 [19 October 2023] (PDF, 190 KB)
Case name
Mark Jospeh Hoggart v The King
Case number
SC 77/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Mr Hoggart’s application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The applications for leave to appeal are granted in part ([W] v R [2023] NZCA 155). The approved questions are:
1 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that a media take down order was not required in the circumstances of this case.
2 Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to conclude that the verdicts were not unreasonable in light of admissible evidence relating to the potential culpability of Lester Hamilton (deceased).
C The applications for leave to appeal are otherwise dismissed.
D Interim order suppressing the name of W and any identifying particulars made on 9 June 2023 is to continue until further order.
12 December 2023
Date of hearing
06 August 2024 - 07 August 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case Synopses
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
W (SC 60/2023) v R and MARK JOSEPH HOGGART v R [2023] NZSC 164 [12 December 2023 (PDF, 197 KB)
Case name
Connor Sean Clayton Nevin v The King
Case number
SC 79/2023
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 allowed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The interim suppression order dated 21 July 2023 is lifted.
7 December 2023
District Court decision
[2022] NZDC 23920
High Court decision
[2022] NZHC 3585
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CONNOR SEAN CLAYTON NEVIN v R [2023] NZSC 160 [7 December 2023] (PDF, 228 KB)
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