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
Michael Thrift Murray v The Queen
Case number
SC 123/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Crimes Act 1961, s 48 – Whether Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against conviction – Whether the trial Judge gave adequate directions on the elements of self-defence and defence of another.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
23 February 2018
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MICHAEL THRIFT MURRAY v R [2018] NZSC 15 [23 February 2018] (PDF, 214 KB)
Judgment appealed from
not publicly available
Case name
B v The Queen
Case number
SC 126/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that certain propensity evidence was admissible. 
Result

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 permitted. 
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
T v The Queen
Case number
SC 129/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, ss 8 and 43 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in overturning a pre-trial ruling that certain propensity evidence was not admissible. 
Result

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 permitted.                                                                                                      

8 February 2018 
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Carl Kiatika Ngawhika v The Queen
Case number
SC 130/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeals against conviction and sentence.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
17 April 2018
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
NGAWHIKA V R [2017] NZCA 535 [21 November 2017]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CARL KIATIKA NGAWHIKA v R [2018] NZSC 32 [17 April 2018] (PDF, 180 KB)
Case name
M v The Queen
Case number
SC 132/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that a judge has power to grant leave to the prosecutor to withdraw charges under s 146(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 prior to a determination being made in the course of a pre-trial hearing under s 10 of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003 as to a defendant’s involvement in terms of s 13(1) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the Judge had not made any determination under s 13(1) of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act. 
Result

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 permitted.                                                                                                       

7 February 2018 
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Kerryn Mitchell v The Queen
Case number
SC 1/2016
Summary
Criminal appeal – Bail – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the application for bail before the applicant had submitted further written submissions to that Court.[2015] NZCA 634   CA 675/2015
Result

Notice of abandonment being lodged, the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed.

24 February 2016
Judgment appealed from

not available
Case name
William Yan and Wei You v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 3/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009, s 29 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of s 29 Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009.  [2015] NZCA 576  CA 683/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
26  April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
YAN v COMMISSIONER OF POLICE [2016] NZSC 41    26 April 2016 (PDF, 121 KB)
Judgment appealed from

P (CA284/2015) v R [2016] NZCA 576   2 December 2016
Case name
Zhihong Xu v Lijing Zeng v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 4/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009, s 29 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of s 29 Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009.[2015] NZCA 576  CA 684/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 26  April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
YAN v COMMISSIONER OF POLICE [2016] NZSC 41   26 April 2016 (PDF, 121 KB)
Judgment appealed from

P (CA284/2015) v R [2016] NZCA 576    2 December 2016
Case name
Douglas John Williamson v The Queen
Case number
SC 7/2016
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that no miscarriage of justice occurred despite trial counsel acting inconsistently with his client’s instructions – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of the Animal Welfare Act 1999, s 28 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining an application to adduce further evidence.  [2015] NZCA 621  CA 398/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
26  April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DOUGLAS JOHN WILLIAMSON v R [2016] NZSC 42   26 April 2016 (PDF, 73 KB)
Judgment appealed from

WILLIAMSON v R [2015] NZCA 621     18 December 2015

Case name
John Blackwood Williamson v The Queen 
Case number
SC 8/2016
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that no miscarriage of justice occurred despite trial counsel acting inconsistently with his client’s instructions – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of the Animal Welfare Act 1999, s 28 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining an application to adduce further evidence.[2015] NZCA 621  CA 399/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 26  April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DOUGLAS JOHN WILLIAMSON v R [2016] NZSC 42    26 April 2016 (PDF, 73 KB)
Judgment appealed from

WILLIAMSON v R [2015] NZCA 621    18 December 2015
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