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
RJG v The Queen
Case number
SC 113/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal –– Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against a pre-trial ruling as to evidence.[2015] NZCA 462   CA 506/2015
Result

Application for leave to appeal is dismissed.

30 October 2015                                                                                    __
Case name
Lyonel Manurewa Te Pou Taniwha v The Queen
Case number
SC 115/2015
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether a tailored demeanour direction should have been given at trial – Whether evidence of breach of a police safety order was admissible as propensity evidence and whether a “proper use” direction was required in respect of that evidence[2015] NZCA 434   CA 597/2014
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted [Taniwha v R [2015] NZCA 434].B The approved questions are whether the Court of Appeal erred in its conclusions that:-no miscarriage of justice arose as a result of the absence of a tailored demeanour direction in the Judge’s summing up to the jury; and-evidence of the appellant’s breach of a police safety order two days after the date covered by the final count alleged in the indictment was admissible and no “proper use” direction was required. 
18 December 2015
___________
The appeal is dismissed.
8 September 2016
Transcripts
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
LYONEL MANUREWA TE POU TANIWHA v R [2015] NZSC 200 [18 December 2015] (PDF, 63 KB)
Substantive judgment
LYONEL MANUREWA TE POU TANIWHA v R [2016] NZSC 123 [8 September 2016] (PDF, 257 KB)
Case name
Michael John Penman v The Queen 
Case number
SC 117/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether there was a breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, ss 25 and 27 – Whether defence counsel failed to adequately follow instructions. [2015] NZCA 364   CA 253/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
28 July 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MICHAEL JOHN PENMAN v R [2016] NZSC 96     28 July 2016 (PDF, 78 KB)
Judgment appealed from

PENMAN v R CA253/2014 [2015] NZCA 364    11 August 2015
Case name
R v The Queen
Case number
SC 119/2015
Summary
Criminal appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 43 – Whether propensity evidence was correctly admitted – Whether directions from the trial Judge were sufficient to cure the risk of unfairly prejudicial evidence affecting the jury’s verdicts.[2015] NZCA 394     CA 477/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
16 February 2016
Court of Appeal decision
R (CA477/2014) v R [2015] NZCA 394 (26 August 2015)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
R v The Queen [2016] NZSC 10 (16 February 2016)
Case name
Anaru Morgan v The Queen
Case number
SC 120/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal from the High Court – Propensity evidence – Whether the evidence is properly admissible under s 43 of the Evidence Act 2006.  [2015] NZCA 465     CA 405/2015
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
24 November 2015
Court of Appeal decision
SOLICITOR-GENERAL v MORGAN [2015] NZCA 465 [29 September 2015]
Case name
Riley Campbell v The Queen
Case number
SC 121/2015
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the applicant’s interview with police was admissible – Whether cross-examination of the complainant on sexual matters should have been allowed[2014] NZCA 376     CA 378/2014 [2015] NZCA 452   CA 605/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
17 December 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RILEY CAMPBELL v R [2015] NZSC 197    17 December 2015 (PDF, 85 KB)
Judgment appealed from

CAMPBELL V R [2015] NZCA 452   1 October 2015
Case name
Christopher Roger King v The Queen
Case number
SC 123/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Sentencing Act 2002 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by declining to allow a sentence discount for the applicant’ s previous good character.[2015] NZCA 475     CA 19/2015
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 18 February 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CHRISTOPHER ROGER KING v R [2016] NZSC 13     18 February 2016 (PDF, 73 KB)
Judgment appealed from
 
Case name
Anthony Paul Mount v The Queen
Case number
SC 125/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against conviction.  [2015] NZCA 489     CA 674/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.      
19 May 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ANTHONY PAUL MOUNT v R [2016] NZSC 56 [19 May 2016] (PDF, 159 KB)
Case name
David Ingram Rowley v The Queen
Case number
SC 126/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to decline the application to adduce further evidence – Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the appeal against conviction.[2015] NZCA 233  CA 572/2012
Result
Leave to appeal is granted on the question whether s 109 of the Tax Administration Act 1994 precluded conviction on counts 101–110 (Rowley v R [2015] NZCA 233, (2015) 27 NZTC ¶22-011).In all other respects the applications for leave to appeal are dismissed save that, in the case of Mr Rowley’s challenge to his sentence, this is with the reservation identified in [23].
15 February 2016
___________
The appeals are dismissed.   
10 August 2016
Transcripts
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
SKINNER and ROWLEY v R [2016] NZSC 7 [15 February 2016] (PDF, 155 KB)
Substantive judgment
BARRIE JAMES SKINNER v R [2016] NZSC 101 [10 August 2016] (PDF, 264 KB)
Case name
The Queen v P
Case number
SC 131/2015
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the statements made by P in his video interview after the interview recommenced at 4pm on 4 June 2014 should be admissible – Whether the evidence of the walk-through of the scene and further statements made by Mr P to police on 6 June 2014 should be admissible.[2015] NZCA 530   CA 474/2015
Result

Judgment released. Details, including result, are suppressed until final disposition of trial.  
Hearing date

21 April 2016

Elias CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, Arnold, O’Regan JJ.
Judgment appealed from

P v R [2015] NZCA 530   11 Nov 2015_ not publicly available
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