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
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)
Case name
Michael Main v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 2/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal against the decision of the Deputy Registrar to refuse the application for leave to appeal.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 18 February 2019
High Court decision
MAIN v POLICE [2018] NZHC 1828 [15 October 2018]
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MAIN v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2019] NZSC 2 [18 February 2019] (PDF, 53 KB)
Case name
Caleb Afamasaga v The Queen
Case number
SC 5/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in analysing the prejudicial effect of text messages produced at trial – Whether that error was a miscarriage of justice
Result
The application for an extension of time to make an application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
27 February 2019
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
AFAMASAGA V R, MAKALIMA V R AND BANABA V R [2015] NZCA 615 [18 December 2015]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CALEB AFAMASAGA v R [2019] NZSC 16 [27 February 2019] (PDF, 191 KB)
Case name
Richard Lyall Genge v The Queen
Case number
SC 6/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining the application to withdraw the notice of abandonment and bring an appeal out of time.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
3 April 2019
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
GENGE v R [2017] NZCA 466 [18 October 2017] 
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RICHARD LYALL GENGE v R [2019] NZSC 35 [3 April 2019] (PDF, 41 KB)
Case name
Rene Mischelle de Kwant v The Queen
Case number
SC 8/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against the imposition of a sentence of preventive detention.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed
24 July 2019
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RENE MISCHELLE DE KWANT v R [2019] NZSC 79 [24 July 2019] (PDF, 41 KB)
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