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
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)
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
Date of hearing
19 March 2024
Judges
Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams, Kós, Miller JJ
Submissions from counsel
Transcripts
Case Synopses
Media Releases
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
L (CA631/2021) v R [2023] NZCA 246 [19 June 2023]
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
District Court decision
[2019[ NZDC 19350
Court of Appeal decision
CHAND v R [2023] NZCA 276
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
[2019] NZDC 19350
Court of Appeal decision
CHAND v R [2023] NZCA 276
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
District Court decision
[2019] NZDC 19350
Court of Appeal decision
CHAND v R [2023] NZCA 276
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
District Court decision
[2016] NZDC 13828
Court of Appeal decision
SMITH v R [2020] NZCA 499 [16 October 2020]
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
Date of hearing
28 February 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Miller JJ
Case Synopses
Media Releases
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
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
District Court decision
[2022] NZDC 23920
Court of Appeal decision
[2023] NZCA 378
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CONNOR SEAN CLAYTON NEVIN v R [2023] NZSC 161 [7 December 2023] (PDF, 204 KB)
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