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
Evgeny Orlov v Anza Distributing NZ Limited and USG Interiors Pacific Limited
Case number
SC 136/2010
Summary
Civil – costs – whether Court of Appeal with jurisdiction to strike out appeal against costs judgment in circumstances where no dispute between parties and main purpose of appeal to challenge legal basis of decision and factual findings that counsel had failed to reach minimum standard of competence that should be attained by officers of the Court – whether appropriate for appellant to pay for an amicus to act as contradictor – whether Court of Appeal decision contravened appellant’s rights under New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990; International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights; and United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers. [2010] NZCA 536 CA 683/2009 22 November 2010
Additional document
sc 136 2010 orlov v anza fees review (PDF, 21 KB)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed. No order for costs.
29 March 2011.
Case name
NJW v The Queen
Case number
SC 137/2010
Summary
Criminal – Sexual Offences – Whether evidence of complainant’ s sexual history directly relevant and excluded contrary to the interests of justice at trial – Whether sentence imposed by Court of Appeal excessive in the circumstances.[2010] NZCA 561 CA 247/2010 29 November 2010
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
W v R SC 137/2010 [8 March 2011 (PDF, 10 KB)
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
8 March 2011.
Case name
Gordana Vukomanovic v The Residence Review Board
Case number
SC 140/2010
Summary
Civil – s 115(1) and 146A of the Immigration Act 1987 – Appeal against the decision of the High Court declaring that the Court had no jurisdiction to consider an appeal brought out of time against a decision of the Residence Review Board. Civ 2010 485 497 Miller J 20 May 2010.
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Dates
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed with no order for costs.
9 March 2010.
Case name
JMW v The Queen
Case number
SC 141/2010
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Proposed “leap frog” appeal – Whether jurisdiction exists to hear proposed appeal – Whether challenges based on jurisdiction of the High Court, due process, alleged abuses of rights, accuracy of documents and sufficiency of evidence ought to be upheld. Cri 2010 092 2879 Brewer J 11 October 2010
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Not publicly available
Dates
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
7 March 2011.
Case name
WAH v WTW and others
Case number
SC 142/2010
Summary
Civil Appeal – Care of Children Act 2004 – High Court made order that children should remain under guardianship of High Court and that permanent homes outside the family be found – Whether High Court adopted the wrong test under s 5(e) Care of Children Act for assessing psychological violence to children – Whether Court of Appeal erred in holding High Court Judge not required to recuse herself – Whether High Court gave insufficient weight to Māori cultural issues – Whether High Court wrong to call appellant’s former counsel as witness – Whether Court of Appeal failed to address constitutional separation of powers issue.[2010] NZCA 577 CA 40/2010 2 December 2010
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
sc 142 2010 wah v wtw and ors (PDF, 35 KB)
Dates
The application by the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development for leave to intervene is granted.
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
14 March 2011.
Case name
CJ B v MVB
Case number
SC 1/2009
Summary
Civil – family law – Property (Relationships) Act 1908 – parties ended a de facto relationship but subsequently married and later separated again – Court of Appeal held that, for the purposes of s 4C of the Act, the parties’ marriage was not a continuation of their de facto relationship – whether the Court of Appeal was correct to apply a different yardstick in deciding whether a relationship had come to an end for married and de facto couples during a period of temporary separation.[2008] NZCA 520 CA 412/2008 2 December 2008
Result
Application for leave to appeal refused. 17 March 2009
Case name
MJT v DGH
Case number
SC 2/2009
Summary
Civil Appeal – Hague Convention – Sections 105 and 106 Care of Children Act 2004 – Appeal against Court of Appeal’s refusal to stay Family Court order to return children to Australia – whether children at grave risk if returned to Australia – whether the children were habitually resident in New Zealand – whether the children’ s human rights have been breached.[2008] NZCA 586 CA 776/2007 24 December 2008
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
4 February 2009
4 February 2009
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MT v DH SC 2/2009 [4 February 2009] (PDF, 20 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Beverley Rawleigh v Derek Maxwell Tait
Case number
SC 6/2009
Summary
Civil – Breach of fiduciary duty – Liability – Solicitor acted for both husband and wife in a transaction without informed consent of wife – Whether a solicitor is liable for losses flowing from a transaction in which he acted for a client in breach of his fiduciary duty to avoid conflicts of interest where the client would have entered into the transaction in any event.[2008] NZCA 525 CA 609/2007 3 December 2008
Result
Application for leave to appeal is dismissed. Costs $2,500 to the respondent.
17 February 2009
17 February 2009
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Rawleigh v Tait SC 6/2009 [17 February 2009] (PDF, 16 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Arshad Mahmood Chatha v The Queen
Case number
SC 8/2009
Summary
Criminal – Appeal against conviction and sentence – Whether Court of Appeal erred in concluding sentence not manifestly excessive and/or wrong in principle – Sentencing Act 2002, s 30 – Whether Court of Appeal erred in finding requirements of s 30 satisfied – Appeal against two recusal judgments – New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, s 25(a) – Whether Court of Appeal erred in dismissing application for Judge’ s recusal.[2008] NZCA 427 CA 685/2007 10 December 2008
Result
Application for leave to amend the grounds of appeal is dismissed. Application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 24 March 2009
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
CHATHA v R SC 8/2009 [24 March 2009] (PDF, 19 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Alana Glenys-May Thomas v The Queen
Case number
SC 11/2009
Summary
Criminal – Appeal from decision of the Court of Appeal allowing the admission of certain evidence at trial – Police executing a search warrant obtained the evidence through a search of an apartment – Applicant pleaded guilty to variety of drug-related offences – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the police search warrant was lawful and the evidence lawfully and properly obtained – Whether the Court of Appeal should have given greater weight to the breach of s 198 of the Summary Proceedings Act 1957 in determining whether the evidence should have been admitted.[2008] NZCA 4352 CA 81/2008 8 September 2008
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
7 April 2009
7 April 2009
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
THOMAS v R SC 11/2009 [7 April 2009] (PDF, 16 KB)
Judgment appealed from
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