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
Joseph Parker v The Queen and Stuff Limited
Case number
SC 98/2020
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 Friday 12 March 2021.
Suppression will lapse at that time.
11 March 2021
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JOSEPH PARKER v R [2021] NZSC 20 [11 March 2020] (PDF, 168 KB)
Case name
An Li Tao v Strata Title Administration Ltd, Jigar Pandya and Body Corporate 198693
Case number
SC 102/2020
Summary
Civil / 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 dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
17 March 2021
High Court decision
TAO v STRATA TITLE ADMINISTRATION LTD [2016] NZHC 814 [27 April 20
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
AN LI TAO v STRATA TITLE ADMINISTRATION LTD [2021] NZSC 23 [17 March 2021] (PDF, 167 KB)
Case name
Mesui Tufui v The Queen
Case number
SC 108/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dimissed
18 March 2021
High Court decision
R v TAPAEVALU & TUFUI [2019] NZHC 1867 [2 August 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MESUI TUFUI v R [2021] NZSC 25 [18 March 2021] (PDF, 51 KB)
Case name
Martin Charles Round v The Queen
Case number
SC 109/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to 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.
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 trial. Publication in law report or law digest is permitted.
18 February 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 111/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Additional document
K (SC 111/2020) v R [2020] NZSC 154 [18 December 2020] (PDF, 33 KB)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JESSE SHANE KEMPSON v R [2020] NZSC 158 [22 December 2020] (PDF, 178 KB)
Case name
Dion James Hunt and Ada Sharon Pue v The Queen
Case number
SC 112/2020
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.
01 March 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DION JAMES HUNT & ADA SHARON PUE v R [2021] NZSC 11 [1 March 2021] (PDF, 154 KB)
Case name
Fisilau Tapaevalu v The Queen
Case number
SC 113/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 March 2021
High Court decision
R v TAPAEVALU & TUFUI [2019] NZHC 1867 [2 August 2019]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
FISILAU TAPAEVALU v R [2021] NZSC 26 [18 March 2021] (PDF, 158 KB)
Case name
Garry Nancarrow v The Queen
Case number
SC 114/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed
11 March 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GARRY NANCARROW v R [2021] NZSC 21 [11 March 2021] (PDF, 37 KB)
Case name
Fei He v The Queen
Case number
SC 117/2020
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
25 March 2021
Court of Appeal decision
HE v R [2020] NZCA 591 [26 November 2020]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
FEI HE v R [2021] NZSC 29 [25 March 2021] (PDF, 143 KB)
Case name
R (SC 1/2019) V The Queen
Case number
SC 1/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal against conviction.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (R (CA158/2018) v R [2018] NZCA 529.
B The approved ground of appeal is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
21 February 2019
_________________________
The appeal is dismissed.
16 August 2019
Transcripts
Media Releases
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
R (CA158/2018) v R [2018] NZCA 529 [27 November 2018]
Leave judgment - leave granted
R (SC 1/2019) v R [2019] NZSC 10 [21 February 2019] (PDF, 180 KB)
Substantive judgment
R (SC 1/2019) v R [2019] NZSC 87 [16 August 2019] (PDF, 127 KB)
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