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
Steven Robertson v The Queen
Case number
SC 23/2021
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.
10 May 2021
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Mark McKinney v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 30/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application to adduce evidence in support of the application is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
21 June 2021
_______________________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 21 June 2021 (McKinney v New Zealand Police [2021] NZSC 68) is dismissed.
25 March 2022
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
A Lawyer v New Zealand Law Society and Wellington Standards Committee No 2
Case number
SC 34/2021
Summary
Civil / Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
30 June 2021
Case name
Rihari Chance Matthew Biddle v The Queen
Case number
SC 35/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
19 July 2021
_______________________________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 19 July 2021
(Biddle v R [2021] NZSC 89) is dismissed.
7 October 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Jordan Mathew Thacker v The Queen
Case number
SC 36/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
19 July 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Jamie Anthony Foster v The Queen
Case number
SC 40/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
19 July 2021
_____________________________________________________
The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 19 July 2021
(Foster v R [2021] NZSC 90) as reissued on 12 August 2021 is dismissed.
7 October 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Maninder Singh v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 42/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application to adduce evidence in support of the application is dismissed.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
2 July 2021
Case name
Darryn Michael Horton v The Queen
Case number
SC 44/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
12 August 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Donna Mary Newlands v Nelson City Council
Case number
SC 50/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
12 August 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Paul Nils Herlund v The Queen
Case number
SC 51/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
2 December 2021
Date of Judgment
01 January 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed