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.
3 July 2026
Case information summary (as at 3 July 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 88 KB)
Case information summary (as at 3 July 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 127 KB)
All years
Case name
DH v The Queen
Case number
SC 9/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the trial judge was correct to admit expert evidence – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the trial judge’s directions in relation to the expert evidence was adequate – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the trial judge’s directions in relation to evidence of no prior convictions was appropriate.[2013] NZCA 670 CA 87/2012
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted.
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the conviction appeal.
2 May 2014
_____________
Appeal dismissed.
16 April 2015
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the conviction appeal.
2 May 2014
_____________
Appeal dismissed.
16 April 2015
Media Releases
- MR [2015] NZSC 36 (PDF, 254 KB)
Leave judgment - leave granted
DH (SC9/2014) v R [2014] NZSC 50 [2 May 2014] (PDF, 8 KB)
Substantive judgment
DH (SC 9/2014) v R [2015] NZSC 35 [16 April 2015] (PDF, 366 KB)
Case name
CFC v The Queen
Case number
SC 12/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 30 – Whether the evidence from a search of the appellants’ property is admissible pursuant to s 30 of the Evidence Act 2006.[2013] NZCA 653 CA 534/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 2 April 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
P C v The Queen
Case number
SC 13/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 30 – Whether the evidence from a search of the appellants’ property is admissible pursuant to s 30 of the Evidence Act 2006.[2013] NZCA 653 CA 534/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 2 April 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
BRM v The Queen
Case number
SC 17/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act, s 92 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the prosecutor did not breach their cross-examination duties – Whether the Court of Appeal’s decision in relation to appropriate jury directions was wrong – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the common law partial defence of excessive force is not recognised in New Zealand.[2013] NZCA 657 CA 260/2012
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 1 May 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Jeffrey Ugochukwu Orji v The Queen
Case number
SC 24/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Immigration – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the trial judge’s decision that a defence of reasonable excuse was not available under s 142(1)(d)(ii) of the Immigration Act 1987 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the allegation of prosecutorial misconduct – Evidence – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the trial judge’s decision to exclude evidence – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s application to admit new evidence.[2013] NZCA 629 CA 167/2012
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 21 May 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
RJL v The Queen
Case number
SC 28/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 122(2)(e) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in deciding that the District Court Judge was entitled to decline to give a warning under s 122(2)(e) of the Evidence Act 2006 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the District Court Judge’ s ruling that the photograph evidence was admissible – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in concluding that the way the District Court Judge restricted the manner in which the applicant gave evidence did not result in a miscarriage of justice.[2013] NZCA 191 CA 707/2012
Result
A Leave to appeal out of time is granted (L (CA707/2012) v R [2013] NZCA 191).
B The approved grounds of appeal are:
(a) Whether the trial Judge should have given the jury a warning, under s 122(1) of the Evidence Act 2006, concerning the complainant’s evidence; and
(b) Whether the Court of Appeal was wrong to conclude that no miscarriage of justice arose from the Judge’ s ruling as to the manner in which the appellant could give evidence of a payment he had made to the complainant.
8 August 2014
_________________________________________________
Appeal allowed, conviction quashed.
No order for retrial.
21 April 2015
B The approved grounds of appeal are:
(a) Whether the trial Judge should have given the jury a warning, under s 122(1) of the Evidence Act 2006, concerning the complainant’s evidence; and
(b) Whether the Court of Appeal was wrong to conclude that no miscarriage of justice arose from the Judge’ s ruling as to the manner in which the appellant could give evidence of a payment he had made to the complainant.
8 August 2014
_________________________________________________
Appeal allowed, conviction quashed.
No order for retrial.
21 April 2015
Leave judgment - leave granted
L v R [2014] NZSC 107 [8 August 2014] (PDF, 40 KB)
Substantive judgment
L (SC 28/2014) v R [2015] NZSC 53 [7 May 2015] (PDF, 405 KB)
Case name
Paul Anthony Blair v The Queen
Case number
SC 36/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal –Evidence Act 2006, ss 46 and 126 – Whether voice identification evidence was admitted at trial contrary to the provisions of s 46 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that admitting the voice identification evidence did not materially affect the result and therefore there was no miscarriage of justice – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the case against the defendant did not depend “substantially” on the voice identification evidence within the meaning of the word contained at section 126.[2014] NZCA 101 CA 92/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal refused.
21 July 2014
21 July 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PAUL ANTHONY BLAIR v R [2014] NZSC 92 21 July 2014 (PDF, 43 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Abraham Eparaima Kohai v The Queen
Case number
SC 42/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – s 385 Crimes Act 1961 – Miscarriage of justice – Whether the Court of Appeal should have granted an adjournment – Whether the Court of Appeal pre-determined the case – Whether relevant evidence was not properly considered by the Court of Appeal – Whether expert evidence was wrongly admitted at trial. [2014] NZCA 83 CA 101/2013
Result
Leave to appeal is granted (Kohai v R [2014] NZCA 83).
The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the conviction appeal.
16 July 2014
____________________________
Appeal dismissed.
16 April 2015
The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the conviction appeal.
16 July 2014
____________________________
Appeal dismissed.
16 April 2015
Case name
G v The Queen
Case number
SC 55/2014
Summary
Criminal Appeal – whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal against conviction on the ground that the jury’s verdict was unreasonable and cannot be supported having regard to the evidence.[2013] NZCA 222 CA 663/2012
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 22 July 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
G (SC55/2014) v R [2014] NZSC 95 [22 July 2014] (PDF, 49 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Colin Geoffrey Hayball v The Queen
Case number
SC 63/2014
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal and/or the trial Judge acted impartially – Whether the verdict could reasonably have been supported on the evidence – Whether the sentence was unreasonable.[2014] NZCA 237 CA 658/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 18 September 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Page 17 of 46