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
Jayson Wiremu Poihipi v The King
Case number
SC 127/2022
Summary
Criminal appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
28 February 2023
High Court decision
R v POIHIPI [2019] NZHC 3048 [22 November 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
JAYSON WIREMU POIHIPI v R [2022] NZCA 421 [8 September 2022
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JAYSON WIREMU POIHIPI v R [2023] NZSC 10 [28 February 2023] (PDF, 159 KB)
Case name
Jiri Kupec v The King
Case number
SC 135/2022
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.
3 May 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
KUPEC v R [2018] NZCA 377 [19 September 2018
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JIRI KUPEC v R [2023] NZSC 43 [3 May 2023] (PDF, 176 KB)
Case name
Isabella Niki-Harper Ahlawat v The King
Case number
SC 136/2022
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
5 April 2023
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ISABELLA NIKI-HARPER AHLAWAT v R [2023] NZSC 28 [5 April 2023] (PDF, 175 KB)
Case name
Douglas Roy Andrews v The Queen
Case number
SC 2/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed
7 April 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DOUGLAS ROY ANDREWS v R [2021] NZSC 32 [7 April 2021] (PDF, 74 KB)
Case name
A v The Queen
Case number
SC 8/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B 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.
3 June 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Jesse Shane Kempson v The Queen
Case number
SC 11/2021
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.
29 June 2021
High Court decision
R v “K” [2020] NZHC 233 [21 February 2020]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JESSE SHANE KEMPSON v R [2021] NZSC 74 [29 June 2021] (PDF, 208 KB)
Case name
W (SC 14/2021) v The Queen
Case number
SC 14/2021
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.
25 May 2022
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
W (CA252/2017) v R [2019] NZCA 367 [20 August 2019]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
W (SC 14/2021) v R [2022] NZSC 66 [25 May 2022] (PDF, 50 KB)
Case name
Solicitor-General's Reference (No 1 of 2021)
Case number
SC 19/2021
Summary
Criminal appeal — Application for leave to refer a question of law
Result
A Notice of Abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to refer a question of law is deemed to be dismissed.
24 March 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Phillip Barnes v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 20/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal — Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B We make an order continuing suppression of the applicant’s name, address, occupation and any identifying particulars until 2 pm on Tuesday 25 May 2021. Suppression will lapse at that time.
24 May 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PHILLIP BARNES v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2021] NZSC 46 [24 May 2021] (PDF, 170 KB)
Case name
Robert Frank Terry v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 21/2021
Summary
Criminal appeal — Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
24 May 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ROBERT FRANK TERRY v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2021] NZSC 47 [24 May 2021] (PDF, 135 KB)
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