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
Steven Philip Mason and Katharine Mary Mason v Andrew Hamilton Magee and Sharon Lee Magee
Case number
SC 128/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Contractual Remedies Act 1979, s 6 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that there was no misrepresentation.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants are to pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
9th February 2018
High Court decision
MASON v MAGEE [2017] NZHC 51 [31 January 2017]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MASON v MAGEE [2018] NZSC 11 [9 February 2018] (PDF, 215 KB)
Court of Appeal decision

MAGEE & ORS v MASON & ORS [2017] NZCA 502 [8 November 2017]
Case name
T v The Queen
Case number
SC 129/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, ss 8 and 43 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in overturning a pre-trial ruling that certain propensity evidence was not admissible. 
Result

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted.                                                                                                      

8 February 2018 
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
AN v Manukau District Court
Case number
SC 131/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Habeas Corpus Act 2001 – Whether the Courts below correctly followed the procedural requirements of the Act  
Result

A notice of abandonment having being filed the appeal is deemed to be dismissed.

20 December 2017 
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
M v The Queen
Case number
SC 132/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that a judge has power to grant leave to the prosecutor to withdraw charges under s 146(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 prior to a determination being made in the course of a pre-trial hearing under s 10 of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003 as to a defendant’s involvement in terms of s 13(1) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the Judge had not made any determination under s 13(1) of the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act. 
Result

Order prohibiting publication of the judgment and any part of the proceedings (including the result) in news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of trial.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted.                                                                                                       

7 February 2018 
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Manchester Securities Limited v Body Corporate 172108
Case number
SC 134/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the appeal from a decision of the High Court varying a remediation scheme settled under s 48 of the Unit Titles Act 1972 and ordering the applicant to make an interim payment to the Body Corporate.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the respondent. 14 March 2018
High Court decision
BODY CORPORATE 172108 v MANCHESTER SECURITIES LIMITED [2017] NZHC 329 [3 March 2017]
Court of Appeal decision
MANCHESTER SECURITIES LTD v BODY CORPORATE 172108 [2017] NZCA 527 [17 November 2017]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MANCHESTER SECURITIES LIMITED v BODY CORPORATE 172108 [2018] NZSC 19 [14 March 2018] (PDF, 208 KB)
Case name
William Yan and Wei You v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 3/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009, s 29 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of s 29 Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009.  [2015] NZCA 576  CA 683/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
26  April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
YAN v COMMISSIONER OF POLICE [2016] NZSC 41    26 April 2016 (PDF, 121 KB)
Judgment appealed from

P (CA284/2015) v R [2016] NZCA 576   2 December 2016
Case name
Zhihong Xu v Lijing Zeng v Commissioner of Police
Case number
SC 4/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009, s 29 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of s 29 Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009.[2015] NZCA 576  CA 684/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. 26  April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
YAN v COMMISSIONER OF POLICE [2016] NZSC 41   26 April 2016 (PDF, 121 KB)
Judgment appealed from

P (CA284/2015) v R [2016] NZCA 576    2 December 2016
Case name
Kulbir Singh and Navjot Kaur v Chief Executive, Ministry of Busines, Innovation and Employment
Case number
SC 5/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Immigration Act, s 177 – Whether Court of Appeal interpreted s 177 Immigration Act correctly ­– Whether Court of Appeal applied the correct standard for unreasonableness to a deportation decision.[2015] NZCA 592  CA 484/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
19  April 2016
High Court decision
SINGH & KAUR v CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MINISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND EMPLOYMENT  [2014] NZHC 1916       14 August 2014
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
KULBIR SINGH AND NAVJOT KAUR v THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE MINISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND EMPLOYMENT [2016] NZSC 39    19 April 2016 (PDF, 70 KB)
Judgment appealed from

SINGH v CHIEF EXECUTIVE, MINISTRY OF BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND EMPLOYMENT [2015] NZCA 592    8 December 2015

Case name
Garry Albert Muir and Peter Arnold Maude v Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Case number
SC 6/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the applicants’ claims for tax deductions under sub-pt EH of the Income Tax Act 1994 are arguable ­– Whether the Court of Appeal erred in awarding indemnity costs. [2015] NZCA 591  CA276/2016
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is granted (Muir v Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2015] NZCA 591).
B The approved questions are whether the Court of Appeal was right:
(i) to find that the appellant could not arguably pursue claims for the 1999 and following tax years in reliance on sub-pt EH of the Income Tax Act 1994; and
(ii) to award costs on an indemnity basis against the appellant.
20 July 2016
______________
A The appellant’s application for leave to amend the grounds of appeal is dismissed.
B Leave to appeal is revoked.
C The appellant is to pay costs of $6,000 to the respondent, plus reasonable disbursements.
26 August 2016
Date of hearing
22 August 2016
Judges
Elias CJ, William Young, Glazebrook, Arnold and O'Regan JJ
High Court decision
Muir v Commissioner of Inland Revenue [2015] NZHC 792 [22 April 2015]
Court of Appeal decision
MUIR v COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE [2015] NZCA 591 [8 December 2015]
Leave judgment - leave granted
GARRY ALBERT MUIR v THE COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE [2016] NZSC 90 [20 July 2 (PDF, 64 KB)
Additional document
Leave to appeal revoked: GARRY ALBERT MUIR v THE COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE [2016] NZSC 113 [26 August 2016] (PDF, 142 KB)
Case name
Douglas John Williamson v The Queen
Case number
SC 7/2016
Summary
Criminal appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that no miscarriage of justice occurred despite trial counsel acting inconsistently with his client’s instructions – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of the Animal Welfare Act 1999, s 28 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining an application to adduce further evidence.  [2015] NZCA 621  CA 398/2014
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
26  April 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DOUGLAS JOHN WILLIAMSON v R [2016] NZSC 42   26 April 2016 (PDF, 73 KB)
Judgment appealed from

WILLIAMSON v R [2015] NZCA 621     18 December 2015

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