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.

17 August 2026

Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 17 August 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 128 KB) 

All years

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
High Court decision
A LAWYER v NEW ZEALAND LAW SOCIETY [2019] NZHC 1961 [13 August 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
A LAWYER v NEW ZEALAND LAW SOCIETY [2021] NZCA 47 [8 March 2021]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
A LAWYER v NEW ZEALAND LAW SOCIETY [2021] NZSC 75 [30 June 2021 (PDF, 50 KB)
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
RIHARI CHANCE MATTHEW BIDDLE v R [2021] NZSC 89 [19 July 2021] (PDF, 211 KB)
Recall judgment
RIHARI CHANCE MATTHEW BIDDLE v R [2021] NZSC 129 [7 October 2021] (PDF, 36 KB)
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
RIHARI CHANCE MATTHEW BIDDLE v R [2021] NZSC 89 [19 July 2021] (PDF, 211 KB)
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
JAMIE ANTHONY FOSTER v R [2021] NZSC 90 [19 July 2021] (PDF, 184 KB)
Recall judgment
JAMIE ANTHONY FOSTER v R [2021] NZSC 130 [7 October 2021] (PDF, 38 KB)
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
High Court decision
SINGH v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2020] NZHC 368 [3 March 2020]
Court of Appeal decision
SINGH v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2021] NZCA 91 [25 March 2021]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MANINDER SINGH v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2021] NZSC 78 [2 July 2021] (PDF, 164 KB)
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
DARRYN MICHAEL HORTON v R [2021] NZSC 99 [12 August 2021] (PDF, 48 KB)
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
High Court decision
NEWLANDS v NELSON CITY COUNCIL [2021] NZHC 652 [29 March 2021]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DONNA MARY NEWLANDS v NELSON CITY COUNCIL [2021] NZSC 100 [12 August 2021] (PDF, 46 KB)
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
Court of Appeal decision
HERLUND v R [2021] NZCA 71 [17 March 2021]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PAUL NILS HERLUND v R [2021] NZSC 165 [2 December 2021] (PDF, 175 KB)
Case name
Rhys Richard Ngahiwi Warren v The Queen
Case number
SC 55/2021
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.
5 July 2021
High Court decision
R v WARREN [2017] NZHC 1913 [11 August 2017]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RHYS RICHARD NGAHIWI WARREN v R [2021] NZSC 79 [5 July 2021] (PDF, 157 KB)
Case name
Alistair Michael Moosa v The Queen
Case number
SC 56/2021
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 trial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
25 June 2021
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ALLISTAIR MICHAEL MOOSA v R [2021] NZSC 73 [25 June 2021] (PDF, 152 KB)
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