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
Dwayne Russell Warakihi Maaka Smyth-Davoren v David Parker, Jacinda Ardern and Andrew Little
Case number
SC 47/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in refusing to grant an extension of time to file the case on appeal and apply for the allocation of a hearing date.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B No order as to costs.
1 July 2019
_______________________________
The applications for recall of this Court’s judgments in Smyth Davoren v Parker [2019] NZSC 66 and in Smyth Davoren v Mountbatten [2019] NZSC 67 are dismissed.
8 July 2019
B No order as to costs.
1 July 2019
_______________________________
The applications for recall of this Court’s judgments in Smyth Davoren v Parker [2019] NZSC 66 and in Smyth Davoren v Mountbatten [2019] NZSC 67 are dismissed.
8 July 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Dwayne Russell Warakihi Maaka Smyth-Davoren v Elizabeth II Alexandra Mary Mountbatton (born Windsor)
Case number
SC 48/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in refusing to grant the extension of time.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B No order for costs.
1 July 2019
___________________________
The applications for recall of this Court’s judgments in Smyth Davoren v Parker [2019] NZSC 66 and in Smyth Davoren v Mountbatten [2019] NZSC 67 are dismissed.
8 July 2019
B No order for costs.
1 July 2019
___________________________
The applications for recall of this Court’s judgments in Smyth Davoren v Parker [2019] NZSC 66 and in Smyth Davoren v Mountbatten [2019] NZSC 67 are dismissed.
8 July 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
David Owen Lyttle v The Queen
Case number
SC 54/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring a pre-trial appeal
Result
A The application for leave to bring a pre-trial appeal is dismissed.
B We make an order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceeding (including the result) in the news media or on the internet or on any other publicly available database until final disposition of the trial. Publication in a law report or law digest is permitted.
18 July 2019
B We make an order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceeding (including the result) in the news media or on the internet or on any other publicly available database until final disposition of the trial. Publication in a law report or law digest is permitted.
18 July 2019
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DAVID OWEN LYTTLE v R [2019] NZSC 75 [18 July 2019] (PDF, 42 KB)
Case name
Allan Jack West v Geoffrey Allan West, David John Cameron West and The Partners of Langley Twigg Law
Case number
SC 56/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Particular discovery – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the High Court was functus officio and could not grant particular discovery.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
9 October 2019
B There is no order as to costs.
9 October 2019
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Alexander Pieter van Heeren and Worldwide Leisure Limited v Michael David Kidd, Saraceno Holding BV, Stichting Administratiekantoor Saraceno Holding and Bank of New Zealand
Case number
SC 71/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred allowing the respondent’ s appeal
Result
A Notice of Abandonment having been filed the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed. 3 September 2019
Court of Appeal decision
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Riki Scott Steen Walls v Ulsterman Holdings Limited (in liquidation) and Vivien Madsen-Ries and Henry David Levin as liquidators of Ulsterman Holdings Limited (in liquidation)
Case number
SC 88/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – High Court Rules 2016 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that neither the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 nor the principles of natural justice were engaged in interpreting r 15.9(2) of the High Court Rules 2016 in the applicant’s circumstances.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the second respondents.
15 November 2019
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the second respondents.
15 November 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
Sealegs International Limited v Yun Zhang, Orion Limited and Orion Marine Limited, Smuggler Marine Limited, Darren Leybourne, Vladan Zubcic, David Pringle and Stryda Marine Limited
Case number
SC 96/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its approach to “functional operability” or “functional constraints” in determining whether industrially applied artistic works were protected by copyright law.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $4,500 plus usual disbursements to the respondents collectively.
13 December 2019
B The applicant must pay costs of $4,500 plus usual disbursements to the respondents collectively.
13 December 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Transcript
Case name
Allan David McLean v The Public Trust
Case number
SC 110/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of cl 5 of the deceased’s will
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay one set of costs of $2,500 to be divided equally between the respondent and Mr Flaus as trustee for the estate of Mrs Ruth McLean.
6 December 2019
B The applicant must pay one set of costs of $2,500 to be divided equally between the respondent and Mr Flaus as trustee for the estate of Mrs Ruth McLean.
6 December 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Eric Meserve Houghton v Timothy Ernest Corbett Saunders, Samuel John Magill, John Michael Feeney, Craig Edgeworth Horrocks, Peter David Hunter, Peter Thomas and Joan Withers, and Credit Suisse Private Equity Inc, and Credit Suisse First Boston Asian Me
Case number
SC 117/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the expert evidence as to the quantum of loss is admissible – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against a refusal to strike out the respondent’ s defence under s 63 of the Securities Act 1978 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the first respondents collectively and $2,500 to the second and third respondents collectively.
13 December 2019
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the first respondents collectively and $2,500 to the second and third respondents collectively.
13 December 2019
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
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