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.
20 March 2026
Case information summary 2025 (as at 20 March 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 88 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 20 March 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 123 KB)
All years
Case name
Elizabeth Maria Bolea v The King
Case number
SC 25/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Bolea v R [2023] NZCA 39).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
22 June 2023
__________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The conviction for participating in an organised criminal group is quashed.
C The application for a discharge without conviction is remitted to the High Court for reconsideration.
3 May 2024
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
22 June 2023
__________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The conviction for participating in an organised criminal group is quashed.
C The application for a discharge without conviction is remitted to the High Court for reconsideration.
3 May 2024
Date of hearing
31 October 2023
Judges
Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date 31 October 2023 Appellant submissions (PDF, 2.4 MB)
- Hearing date 31 October 2023 Respondent submissions (PDF, 401 KB)
- Hearing date 31 October 2023 Respondent Oral Outline (PDF, 157 KB)
- Hearing date 31 October 2023 Appellant Oral Outline (PDF, 204 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 31 October 2023 SC 25_2023 (PDF, 442 KB)
Case Synopses
- Hearing date 31 October 2023 (PDF, 444 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2024] NZSC 46 (PDF, 539 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
ELIZABETH MARIA BOLEA v R [2023] NZSC 72 [22 June 2023] (PDF, 130 KB)
Substantive judgment
ELIZABETH MARIA BOLEA v R [2024] NZSC 46 [3 May 2024] (PDF, 301 KB)
Case name
Raymond John Belsey v The King
Case number
SC 27/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is dismissed. 26 June 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RAYMOND JOHN BELSEY v R [2023] NZSC 75 [26 June 2023] (PDF, 154 KB)
Case name
James Hay Wallace and McLean's Mansion Charitable Trust v The King
Case number
SC 31/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A) The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B) Order continuing suppression of the applicants’ names, addresses, occupations and any identifying particulars on the terms set out at [15] until 2 pm on 28 June 2023.
Suppression will lapse at that time.
26 June 2023
B) Order continuing suppression of the applicants’ names, addresses, occupations and any identifying particulars on the terms set out at [15] until 2 pm on 28 June 2023.
Suppression will lapse at that time.
26 June 2023
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JAMES HAY WALLACE v R [2023] NZSC 74 [26 June 2023] (PDF, 176 KB)
Case name
Jiaxin Tu v The King
Case number
SC 35/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
23 February 2024
23 February 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JIAXIN TU v R [2024] NZSC 15 [23 February 2024] (PDF, 165 KB)
Case name
Jesse Shane Kempson v The King
Case number
SC 37/2023
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. 22 September 2023
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Selaima Fakaosilea v The King
Case number
SC 39/2023
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 (R v F [2018] NZHC 3377) is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal (Fakaosilea v R [2021] NZCA 401) is dismissed.
30 August 2023
B The application for leave to appeal (Fakaosilea v R [2021] NZCA 401) is dismissed.
30 August 2023
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SELAIMA FAKAOSILEA v R [2023] NZSC 115 [30 August 2023] (PDF, 183 KB)
Case name
Tama Takoa Nooroa v The King
Case number
SC 40/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
26 May 2023
B Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
26 May 2023
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TAMA TOKOA NOOROA v R [2023] NZSC 63 [26 May 2023] (PDF, 173 KB)
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Ngoc Hong Truong v The King
Case number
SC 44/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 September 2023
4 September 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
NGOC HONG TRUONG v R [2023] NZSC 119 [4 September 2023] (PDF, 171 KB)
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Fazalullah Khan Mohammed v The King
Case number
SC 47/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 October 2023
20 October 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Mahia Tamiefuna v The King
Case number
SC 51/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The appeal is allowed. The conviction is quashed.
B A retrial is ordered.
C We make an order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the Internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of retrial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
B A retrial is ordered.
C We make an order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the Internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of retrial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
Submissions from counsel
- Hearing date 6 7 March 2024 Appellant submissions (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- Hearing date 6 7 March 2024 Respondent submissions (PDF, 625 KB)
- Hearing date 6 7 March 2024 Intervener Submissions (PDF, 807 KB)
- Hearing date 6 7 March 2024 Joint chronology (PDF, 98 KB)
Transcripts
- Hearing date 6 7 March 2024 Transcript (PDF, 969 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Substantive judgment
TAMIEFUNA v R [2025] NZSC 40 [16 April 2025] (PDF, 798 KB)
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