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 July 2026

Case information summary (as at 17 July 2026) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 17 July 2026)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 128 KB) 

All years

Case name
Alistair James Haskett v The Queen
Case number
SC 34/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction for driving at a speed exceeding 100 kilometres per hour – use of speed camera image as evidence of offence – whether production of image purporting to be taken by approved vehicle surveillance equipment is sufficient evidence to prove offence – requirements for testing and accuracy of approved vehicle surveillance equipment – Land Transport Act 1998, ss 145, 146 CA 261/05 30 March 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
3 July 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Ronald Gerald Clark v The Queen
Case number
SC 50/2006
Summary
Criminal appeal – appeal against conviction for driving with excess blood alcohol – after failed breath screening test applicant handcuffed for duration of trip to police station – at station handcuffs immediately removed - applicant failed evidential breath test – whether handcuffing amounting to an arrest and, if so, whether the arrest was in breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 – whether for the purposes of exclusion of evidence there was the necessary causal link between breach and the failed evidential breath test. CA 479/05 12 June 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
26 September 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Alan Ivo Greer v The Queen
Case number
SC 51/2006
Summary
Criminal appeal – Bail Act 2000 - whether Court of Appeal erred in refusing application for bail pending hearing of appeals from convictions on driving and sexual offences – whether bail is necessary to obtain a fair hearing of the appeals. CA 161/03 CA 179/06 15 June 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
26 September 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Mission Bay Pharmacy Limited v Drive Holdings Limited
Case number
SC 55/2006
Summary
Civil – application for summary judgment – whether Court of Appeal erred in upholding High Court decision granting summary judgment – whether any oral agreement to lease was enforceable between the parties by virtue of s 47 Land Transfer (Computer Registers and Electronic Lodgement) Amendment Act 2002 – whether respondent had waived conditions as to time – whether a general contractual obligation of good faith exists – conduct of contractual negotiations. CA 98/05 29 June 2006
Result
Notice of Discontinuance being filed, the application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 28 August 2006
Case name
Nigel Nia Nia Wilson v The Queen
Case number
SC 57/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction – driving with excess blood alcohol – whether discrepancy in blood test results raised issue as to whether tests were reliable – whether Court of Appeal erred in applying the proviso to s 385 of the Crimes Act 1961.CA 433/05 3 July 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
2 October 2006
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Christopher John Manawatu v The Queen
Case number
SC 92/2006
Summary
Criminal – applicant convicted of aggravated robbery and driving while disqualified – applicant convicted in separate proceeding of three counts of manslaughter, and one charge each of reckless driving and excess blood alcohol – no appeal against conviction or sentence – whether s 398 Crimes Act infringes ss 14, 25(a) and 25(h) New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 or Articles 14(1), 19(2) and 26 of ICCPR – whether s 398 discriminates against criminal appellants, there being no equivalent provision applying to civil cases – whether Court of Appeal should have disclosed to counsel prior to the hearing that s 398(1) is in the process of being repealed - whether Court of Appeal should have made Declaration of Inconsistency of s 398 with BORA - whether undue appellate delay – whether there should be a reduction in sentence by reason of appellate delay. CA 111/05 CA 112/05 10 November 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
8 March 2007
Case name
Colyn David Stoves v The Queen
Case number
SC 93/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against sentence – recidivist drink driving offending – whether Court of Appeal erred in confirming sentencing judge’ s assessment of aggravating and mitigating factors – whether sentence partially reflected offending outside scope of present charges, in breach of s 25 New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 – whether Court of Appeal erred in confirming that applicant’s ‘poor responses’ to community work and bail obligations properly contributed to refusal of leave to apply for home detention CA 264/06 7 November 2006
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 15 February 2007
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Klaus Löwer v Gary Traveller and John Anthony Waller
Case number
SC 51/2005
Summary
Company Law - whether the respondents had an accrued cause of action for reckless trading giving them an "existing right" under s320(1)(b) of the Companies Act - whether the applicant was in breach of s320(1)(b) Companies Act 1955 - whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of ss17-19 Interpretation Act 1999 . CA 36/04 26 July 2005
Result

Leave to appeal granted.

2 December 2005