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
Phillip Hans Field v Malcolm James Burgess
Case number
SC 87/2007
Summary
Criminal appeal – sentencing – Court of Appeal quashed the sentence of six and a half years imposed by the District Court judge and replaced it with a sentence of eight years – whether the Court of Appeal was correct to increase the sentence imposed in the District Court – in particular, whether courts are obliged to accept eight years as the starting point in cases of sexual violation by rape – whether a guilty plea made after the complainant has given evidence is necessarily less worthy than a guilty plea that spares the complainant the need to give evidence – whether a guilty plea entered part way through trial by one accused is of assistance to the Crown with respect to bolstering the credibility of the complainant’ s evidence – whether the trial judge has an unfettered right to enter a merciful sentence – whether the Court of Appeal made material factual errors – whether the Court of Appeal’s approach has resulted in a miscarriage of justice.[2007] NZCA 550 CA 511/07 29 November 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 17 December 2007
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
FIELD v BURGESS SC 87/2007 [17 December 2007] (PDF, 16 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Kevin Joseph Charles Little v R
Case number
SC 88/2007
Summary
Summary Criminal – appeal against conviction and sentence – murder of baby daughter – whether verdict supportable having regard to the evidence (s 385(1)(a) Crimes Act 1961) – whether admission of expert evidence of geophysicist (animation of applicant’s pre-trial explanation of incident) resulted in a miscarriage of justice – whether minimum non-parole period of 17 years manifestly unjust.[2007] NZCA 491 CA 557/07 9 November 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
22 February 2008
22 February 2008
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
LITTLE V R SC 88/2007 [22 February 2008] (PDF, 15 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Alan Ivo Greer v The Queen
Case number
SC 89/2007
Summary
Criminal appeal – rehearing of appeal against conviction for driving while disqualified, pursuant to R v Smith [2003] NZLR 617 – whether Court of Appeal erred in not allowing appeal against conviction - whether the applicant was prevented from bringing a defence because photographic and transcript evidence had been destroyed or not disclosed - whether the Court of Appeal gave proper consideration to evidence – whether applicant was given necessary access to Court records – whether there was a miscarriage of justice. [2007] NZCA 517 CA 161/06 20 November 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
22 May 2008
22 May 2008
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GREER v R SC 89/2007 [22 May 2008] (PDF, 14 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Colin Todd Parker v The Queen
Case number
SC 92/2007
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction of indecently assaulting a girl under 12 years – whether the Court of Appeal erred by holding that the fact the defence had not produced evidence of a motive for the complainant to give false evidence was relevant to the jury’s assessment of her credibility – whether the trial judge’s summing up conformed with R v T [1998] 2 NZLR 257 - whether R v T should represent the law in New Zealand insofar as it allows juries to regard a complainant’s evidence as more likely to be true where the defence has not offered any evidence for why the defendant might lie – whether R v T reverses the onus of proof in breach of sections 25(c) and (d) of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990. [2007] NZCA 534 CA 479/07 CA 572/07 CA 211/06 22 November 2007
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 15 April 2008
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
PARKER v R SC 92/2007 [15 April 2008] (PDF, 20 KB)
Case name
Ross Alexander Williams v The Queen
Case number
SC 1/2006
Summary
Criminal law - appeal against conviction for selling and cultivation of cannabis- whether Court of Appeal erred in refusing to admit new evidence -whether Court of Appeal erred in finding the new evidence was not fresh- failure of counsel on appeal to follow instructions to call trial counsel to give evidence relating to preparation for trial misconduct of trial counsel - failure of counsel on appeal to argue that convictions lack evidentiary basis - whether trial Judge erred in admitting evidence obtained via an unlawful search. CA 63/05 9 December 2005.
Result
Leave to appeal dismissed.
24 May 2006
24 May 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
WILLIAMS V R SC 1/2006 [24 May 2006] (PDF, 23 KB)
Case name
Martin Charles Cox v The Queen
Case number
SC 7/2006
Summary
Criminal law - appeal against conviction for assault with intent to commit sexual violation and sexual violation - whether the conduct of the Crown at trial justified the ordering of a new trial - whether the direction to the jury would have left the jury in doubt as to the burden of proof - misdirection on the core issue - approach to questioning in cross-examination that tends to breach solicitor/client privilege - prior consistent statement evidence. CA 240/05 7 December 2005
Result
Leave to Appeal dismissed.
31 March 2006
31 March 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
COX V R SC 7/2006 [31 March 2006] (PDF, 18 KB)
Case name
Emelysifa Jessop v The Queen
Case number
SC 8/2006
Summary
Criminal - appeal against conviction and sentence for aggravated robbery - whether Court of Appeal was unlawfully constituted contrary to New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 ("NZBORA"), ss 25(a), 25(h); International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ("ICCPR"), arts 14, 26; Judicature Act 1908, ss 9A, 58, 58G - whether undue trial or appellate delay contrary to NZBORA, s 25; ICCPR art 14 - whether failure to consider rights of the child pursuant to NZBORA, s 25(i); United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child - admissibility of identification parade and video interview evidence - whether case should have been re-committed to High Court - whether trial judge biased - effect of principle of equality of arms - adequacy of trial judge's summing up - whether sentence manifestly excessive . CA 13/00 19 December 2005.
Result
Leave to Appeal dismissed.
27 March 2006
27 March 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JESSOP V R SC 8/2006 [27 March 2006] (PDF, 18 KB)
Additional document
Case name
The University of Newlands and Rochelle Marianne Forrester v Nationwide News Pty Limited
Case number
SC 12/2006
Summary
Civil – defamation – jurisdiction – University of Newlands allegedly defamed on Australian website – whether an act or omission for or in respect of which damages are claimed occurred in New Zealand, pursuant to High Court Rules, r 219(a) – whether good arguable case on the merits – whether sufficient evidence of reputation, publication, or damage CA 202/04 9 December 2005
Result
Leave to Appeal dismissed.
29 March 2006
29 March 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Allan Borley v The Queen
Case number
SC 14/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction for sexual violation and indecent assault – evidence of child complainants – whether sufficient evidence for conviction – whether accused’s decision not to give evidence was compromised due to erroneous advice by trial counsel CA 121/05 12 December 2005
Result
Leave to Appeal dismissed.
12 April 2006
12 April 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
BORLEY V R SC 14/2006 [11 April 2006] (PDF, 15 KB)
Case name
Timothy Holden Tipple v The Queen
Case number
SC 19/2006
Summary
Criminal – appeal against conviction and sentence for dealing with a firearm with reckless disregard for the safety of others – Arms Act 1983, s 53(3) – whether purposive approach should be taken to interpretation of criminal offences – meaning of “reckless disregard” – whether recklessness has objective component – whether “deals with a firearm” includes supervising third party use of the firearm – admissibility of evidence obtained by police prior to cautioning – whether verdict unreasonable or not supported by the evidence – allegations of bad faith or bias against police and District Court Judge – consequences of amending indictment mid-trial – effect of facts proved at trial on sentencing – Sentencing Act 2002, s 24(1) – whether entitled to discharge without conviction – Sentencing Act 2002, s 106 CA 217/05 22 December 2005
Result
Leave to Appeal dismissed.
11 April 2006
11 April 2006
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
TIPPLE v R SC 19/2006 [11 April 2006] (PDF, 17 KB)
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