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
Rhys Richard (Ngahiwi) Warren v Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections
Case number
SC 17/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Public Safety (Public Protections Orders) Act 2014, s 8 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in the formulation of a threshold test for the granting of a public protection orders.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
2 March 2017
2 March 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Anna Elizabeth Osborne and Sonya Lynne Rockhouse v Worksafe New Zealand and District Court at Wellington
Case number
SC 23/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Judicial review – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the first respondent had not exercised its prosecutorial discretion unlawfully or unreasonably – Whether the dismissal of charges by the second respondent was ultra vires because the Judge hearing the matter had earlier recused herself from the proceedings.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted in part (Osborne v Worksafe New Zealand [2017] NZCA 11).
B Subject to the qualification discussed at [1], the approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the applicants’ appeal to that Court.
19 June 2017
_______________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B A declaration is made that the decision of WorkSafe New Zealand to offer no evidence in the prosecution of Peter William Whittall was unlawful.
C Costs are reserved. The parties may file memoranda by 31 January 2018 if an order for costs is sought.
23 November 2017
B Subject to the qualification discussed at [1], the approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss the applicants’ appeal to that Court.
19 June 2017
_______________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B A declaration is made that the decision of WorkSafe New Zealand to offer no evidence in the prosecution of Peter William Whittall was unlawful.
C Costs are reserved. The parties may file memoranda by 31 January 2018 if an order for costs is sought.
23 November 2017
Transcripts
- Hearing date 5 October 2017 (PDF, 241 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2017] NZSC 175 (PDF, 272 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
AN v Bupa Care Services (New Zealand) Limited
Case number
SC 24/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Habeas Corpus Act 2001 – Whether the High Court erred in finding the applicant’s detention lawful.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The application for leave to allow the publication of the applicant’s name and identifying particulars is dismissed.
C There is no order for costs. 12 April 2017 _____ The application for recall is dismissed.
1 May 2017
B The application for leave to allow the publication of the applicant’s name and identifying particulars is dismissed.
C There is no order for costs. 12 April 2017 _____ The application for recall is dismissed.
1 May 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Alister James Reid v The Queen
Case number
SC 29/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the hearsay statement by the complainant was correctly admitted as evidence at the applicant’s trial.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
7 July 2017
7 July 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ALISTER JAMES REID v R [2017] NZSC 108 7 July 2017 (PDF, 69 KB)
Judgment appealed from
DC (not available publicly) :
Case name
Matthew Richard Brown v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 36/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Criminal Procedure Act 2011 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining leave to bring second appeals against conviction and sentence.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 August 2017
18 August 2017
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
John Archibald Banks v The Queen
Case number
SC 41/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967, s 5 – Whether the Court of Appeal and High Court erred in declining to award costs to the applicant following his acquittal.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs to the respondent of $2,500.
28 June 2017
B The applicant must pay costs to the respondent of $2,500.
28 June 2017
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
JOHN ARCHIBALD BANKS v R [2017] NZSC 98 28 June 2017 (PDF, 84 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Mathew Ngatai Te Moanaui v The Queen
Case number
SC 42/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of s 202C of the Crimes Act 1961.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
20 June 2017
20 June 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Bruce James Spittle v The Queen
Case number
SC 47/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its determination that the verdict of the jury in the applicant’s trial was not unreasonable having regard to the evidence.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 6 July 2017
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
BRUCE JAMES SPITTLE v R [2017] NZSC 105 6 July 2017 (PDF, 80 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Wayne Thomas Patterson v The Queen
Case number
SC 48/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Sentencing Act 2002 – Special release conditions – Whether Sentencing Act authorises a court to confer a power of search on a probation officer – Whether conditions imposed reasonable and proportional in the circumstances.
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
High Court decision
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Chatfield & Co Limited v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 55/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Tax Administration Act 1994, s 17 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the Commissioner of Inland Revenue has not created a legitimate expectation by publishing operational statements.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
11 August 2017
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
11 August 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
High Court decision
Judgment appealed from
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