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
L (SC 80/2023) v The King
Case number
SC 80/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (L (CA631/2021) v R [2023] NZCA 246).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
3 November 2023
_____________________________________________
The appeal is dismissed.
11 November 2024
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
3 November 2023
_____________________________________________
The appeal is dismissed.
11 November 2024
Date of hearing
19 March 2024
Judges
Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams, Kós, Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing 19 March 2024 Appellant oral outline (PDF, 198 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing 19 March 2024 (PDF, 385 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 19 March 2024 (PDF, 443 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2024] NZSC 153 (PDF, 263 KB)
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
L (SC 80/2023) v R [2023] NZSC 146 [3 November 2023] (PDF, 157 KB)
Supreme court decision
L (SC 80/2023) v R [2024] NZSC 153 [11 November 2024] (PDF, 556 KB)
Case name
Rakesh Chand v The King
Case number
SC 83/2023
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 deemed to be dismissed.
28 August 2023
28 August 2023
District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Vijendra Prasad v The King
Case number
SC 86/2023
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 deemed to be dismissed. 18 August 2023
District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Richard Rajesh Kumar v The King
Case number
SC 87/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
24 July 2024
24 July 2024
District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RICHARD RAJESH KUMAR v R [2024] NZSC 78 [24 July 2024] (PDF, 182 KB)
Case name
Phillip John Smith v The King
Case number
SC 88/2023
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.
17 October 2023
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
17 October 2023
District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PHILLIP JOHN SMITH v R [2023] NZSC 134 [17 October 2023] (PDF, 196 KB)
Case name
Jane Alison Farish v The King
Case number
SC 90/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave is granted in part (Dallison v R [2023] NZCA 282).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining to make the order sought by the applicant under s 205(2)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011.
C The application for leave to appeal is otherwise dismissed.
D We make an order prohibiting publication of the applicant’s name, address, occupation and identifying particulars and of the information to which the application under s 205(2)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 relates until final resolution of the appeal to this Court.
30 October 2023
_______________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B We make an order prohibiting publication of this judgment, the media release and the minutes, and any information therein, until the judgment is delivered at 2.00 pm on 11 June 2024.
C We make an order prohibiting publication of certain evidence and submissions contained in this judgment pursuant to s 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011. See paragraph [82].
D We make an order redacting parts of the judgment that is made publicly available.
E We make an order that the files for this appeal are not to be searched without the leave of a Judge of this Court.
11 June 2024
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining to make the order sought by the applicant under s 205(2)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011.
C The application for leave to appeal is otherwise dismissed.
D We make an order prohibiting publication of the applicant’s name, address, occupation and identifying particulars and of the information to which the application under s 205(2)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 relates until final resolution of the appeal to this Court.
30 October 2023
_______________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B We make an order prohibiting publication of this judgment, the media release and the minutes, and any information therein, until the judgment is delivered at 2.00 pm on 11 June 2024.
C We make an order prohibiting publication of certain evidence and submissions contained in this judgment pursuant to s 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011. See paragraph [82].
D We make an order redacting parts of the judgment that is made publicly available.
E We make an order that the files for this appeal are not to be searched without the leave of a Judge of this Court.
11 June 2024
Date of hearing
28 February 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Miller JJ
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 28 February 2024 SC 90/2023 (PDF, 475 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2024] NZSC 65 (PDF, 333 KB)
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave granted
F (SC 90/2023) v R [2023] NZSC 143 [30 October 2023] (PDF, 166 KB)
Substantive judgment
JANE ALISON FARISH v R [2024] NZSC 65 [11 June 2024] (PDF, 316 KB)
Case name
T (SC 93/2023) v The King
Case number
SC 93/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
27 February 2024
27 February 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
T (SC 93/2023) v R [2024] NZSC 19 [27 February 2024] (PDF, 181 KB)
Case name
Connor Sean Clayton Nevin v The King
Case number
SC 101/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
7 December 2023
7 December 2023
District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Aaron Lee Wallace v The King
Case number
SC 106/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 February 2024
9 February 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
AARON LEE WALLACE v R [2024] NZSC 8 [9 February 2024] (PDF, 191 KB)
Case name
Brett Owen Taylor v The King
Case number
SC 113/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 February 2024
9 February 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
BRETT OWEN TAYLOR v R [2024] NZSC 7 [9 February 2024] (PDF, 188 KB)
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