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
Bruce Alexander McKay v The Queen
Case number
SC 92/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Crimes Act 1961, s 220 – Party to offence – Failure to give adequate reasons for verdict – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against conviction.
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
9 December 2019
9 December 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Lance David Morrison v The Queen
Case number
SC 93/2019 SC 94/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s quantum appeal for costs under s 5 of the Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
9 December 2019
B There is no order as to costs.
9 December 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Harjit Dheil v The Queen
Case number
SC 106/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction – Evidence Act 2006, ss 22A and 122 – Whether a recorded conversation should have been admitted at trial – Whether the recorded conversation was hearsay evidence – Whether the trial Judge should have given a direction in relation to the hearsay evidence – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal.
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
HARJIT DHEIL v R [2019] NZSC 153 [20 December 2019] (PDF, 46 KB)
Case name
Zen PULEMOANA v The Queen
Case number
SC 112/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether a juror should have been discharged – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal against conviction.
Result
A An extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
19 November 2019
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
19 November 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ZEN PULEMOANA v R [2019] NZSC 131 [19 November 2019] (PDF, 41 KB)
High Court decision
Case name
Quentin Woods v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 115/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Sentencing – Special conditions – Residential restrictions – Intensive monitoring – Sentencing Act 2002, s 93(2B) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that s 93(2B) of the Sentencing Act permits imposition of conditions similar to residential restrictions and intensive monitoring – Whether the Court erred in holding that the special conditions imposed on the appellant did not amount to residential restrictions or intensive monitoring.
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Woods v New Zealand Police [2019] NZCA 446).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the applicant’s appeals.
13 February 2020
________________________________
The appeal is allowed.
10 December 2020
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the applicant’s appeals.
13 February 2020
________________________________
The appeal is allowed.
10 December 2020
Date of hearing
21 May 2020
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan and Arnold JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 21 May 2020 (PDF, 399 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2020] NZSC 141 (PDF, 190 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Owen Williams v The Queen
Case number
SC 122/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B 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 permitted.
14 February 2020
B 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 permitted.
14 February 2020
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
OWEN WILLIAMS v R [2020] NZSC 5 [14 February 2020] (PDF, 40 KB)
Summary
Case name
P (SC 124/2019) v The Queen
Case number
SC 124/2019
Summary
Criminal appeal - application for leave to bring appeal
Result
Leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 April 2020
20 April 2020
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
LINDA JUDITH POND v R [2020] NZSC 37 [20 April 2020] (PDF, 161 KB)
Case name
David Stanley Tranter v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 126/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the High Court was correct to refuse the applicant’s claim for habeas corpus.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
19 December 2019
19 December 2019
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Silapea Momoisea v The Queen
Case number
SC 128/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
13 March 2020
13 March 2020
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SILAPEA MOMOISEA v R [2020] NZSC 19 [13 March 2020] (PDF, 131 KB)
Case name
SHAY O’ CARROLL v the Queen
Case number
SC 129/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against a decision of the High Court – Whether s 155 of the Cook Islands Act 1915 (NZ) provides a jurisdictional bar to the imposition of a sentence of home detention
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Carroll v R [2019] NZCA 657).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
C Bail is extended on the same conditions until the determination of the appeal.
5 March 2020
________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The sentence of 22 months’ imprisonment is quashed and a sentence of 10 months’ home detention is substituted. The sentence is subject to the conditions listed at [55] of the judgment.
14 September 2020
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal.
C Bail is extended on the same conditions until the determination of the appeal.
5 March 2020
________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B The sentence of 22 months’ imprisonment is quashed and a sentence of 10 months’ home detention is substituted. The sentence is subject to the conditions listed at [55] of the judgment.
14 September 2020
Date of hearing
11 June 2020
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 11 June 2020 (PDF, 184 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2020] NZSC 92 (PDF, 153 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
SHAY O’ CARROLL v R [2020] NZSC 15 [5 March 2020] (PDF, 31 KB)
Substantive judgment
SHAY O’CARROLL v R [2020] NZSC 92 (PDF, 104 KB)
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