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.

19 June 2026

Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 89 KB)
Case information summary (as at 19 June 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 126 KB) 

All years

Case name
David Wayne Tamihere v The King
Case number
SC 82/2024
Summary

Criminal Appeal

Result

A Leave to appeal is granted (Tamihere v R [2024] NZCA 300).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct not to exercise its jurisdiction under s 406(1)(a) of the Crimes Act 1961 to quash Mr Tamihere’s convictions.
20 December 2024
__________________________________________________
A The application to adduce further evidence is dismissed.
B The appeal is allowed.
C We exercise the Court’s jurisdiction under s 406(1)(a) of the Crimes Act 1961 to quash Mr Tamihere’s convictions. We make an order directing a retrial.
D Order redacting paragraphs [49]–[61], [79]–[120], [147]– [161], [163]–[164] and [167]–[170] from the judgment delivered on 31 March 2026.
E Order prohibiting publication of the unredacted version of the judgment pending final disposition of retrial.     
31 March 2026

Date of hearing
18 August 2025 - 20 August 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Ellen France, Williams and Kós JJ | Venue: Auckland High Court, Courtroom 11
Media Releases
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
Tadd Management LTD v Ruth Renton Weine and Michael David Hoffmann-Body as Trustees of the Ruth Weine Family Trust
Case number
SC 87/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
20 December 2024
Case name
David Grant Sinclair v The King
Case number
SC 124/2024
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
8 April 2025
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kea Investments Limited v Kenneth David Wikeley, Wikeley Family Trustee Limited (in interm liquidation), Eric John Watson, Wikeley Incorporated and USA Asset Holdings Incorporated
Case number
SC 127/2024
Summary

Civil Appeal 

Result

A    Kea Investments Ltd’s application for leave to appeal is granted (Wikeley v Kea Investments Ltd [2024] NZCA 609, [2024] 3 NZLR 901).
B    The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to discharge the permanent anti-suit and anti-enforcement injunctions awarded to Kea Investments Ltd in the High Court.
C    Counsel to assist the Court will be appointed by the Registrar.
D    The applications to adduce further evidence are dismissed.
E    The application to extend the stay in Wikeley v Kea Investments Ltd [2024] NZCA 686, (2024) 26 PRNZ 667 is granted pending determination of the appeal. 
 4 July 2025
_______________________________________
A The application for adjournment is dismissed.
B Costs are reserved.                                                                                
30 September 2025
_______________________________________

A The appeal from the decision of the Court of Appeal in Wikeley v Kea Investments Ltd [2024] NZCA 609, [2024] 3 NZLR 901 is allowed.
B The orders made by the High Court in Kea Investments Ltd v Wikeley Family Trustee Ltd (in interim liq) [2023] NZHC 3260 at [156(a)(i) - (iv)], and in Kea Investments Ltd v Wikeley Family Trustee Ltd (in interim liq) [2023] NZHC 3532 at [7], are reinstated.
C Costs are reserved. 
10 November 2025

Date of hearing
05 November 2025 - 06 November 2025
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Case name
Artemis Indigo Delilah Davis v David P Robinson
Case number
SC 132/2024
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring appeal
Result
A     The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B     There is no order as to costs.
1 April 2025
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Kenneth David Wikeley v Kea Investments Limted and Wikeley Family Trustee Limited (In Interim Liquidation)
Case number
SC 137/2024
Summary

Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal

Result

A The applications to adduce further evidence are dismissed.
B Mr Wikeley’s application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
C The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.                
4 July 2025

Case name
David Charles Rae v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 33/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s recall judgment (Rae v Commissioner of Police [2023] NZCA 38) is dismissed.
B The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s substantive judgment (Rae v Commissioner of Police [2023] NZCA 4) is granted.
C Leave to appeal is granted.
D The appeal is dismissed.
E There is no order as to costs.
30 November 2023
Date of hearing
12 October 2023
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O'Regan, Williams and Kós JJ
Case name
Estate of Eric John Tupai Ruru and Alan Parekura Torohina Haronga v Attorney-General, Waitangi Tribunal, Tanya Rogers and David Brown, Owen Lloyd, David Thomas Hawea and Anthony Tapp
Case number
SC 38/2023
Summary
Civil 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 The applicants must pay the first respondent one set of costs of $2,500.
5 July 2023
Case name
James Howard Nigel Smalley v Grant Robert Williamson, Ian Perry, David Michael Hayes, Grant Trevor Davies and Jeremy Daniel Sullivan
Case number
SC 66/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
10 August 2023
Case name
Adam David Banks v William Robert Farmer, Simon Matthew Gamble, Christoper James Massam and Douglas Leroy Frederick
Case number
SC 104/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $5,000.
6 August 2024
Date of hearing
25 July 2024
Judges
Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
Transcripts
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed