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.
17 July 2026
Case information summary (as at 17 July 2026) – Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary (as at 17 July 2026) – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 128 KB)
All years
Case name
Siobhan Foster v Andrew Wilson and Graham Brownrigg
Case number
SC 3/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A notice of abandonment having been filed, the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
20 March 2023
20 March 2023
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Danella Tapahinga Roebeck and Ngāti Paoa Trust Board v Attorney-General and Glen Andrew Tupuhi and ors as Trustees of the Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust
Case number
SC 10/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
31 July 2023
B The applicants must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
31 July 2023
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Catherine Anne Sixtus v Jacinda Ardern, Kris Faafoi, Andrew Little and Ashley Bloomfield
Case number
SC 49/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $1,000. 12 July 2023
B The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $1,000. 12 July 2023
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Aaron Lee Wallace v The King
Case number
SC 106/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 February 2024
9 February 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
AARON LEE WALLACE v R [2024] NZSC 8 [9 February 2024] (PDF, 191 KB)
Case name
Mark James McLaughlin and Andrew Ashley McLaughlin v John David Manuel McLaughlin
Case number
SC 116/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
15 February 2024
B The applicants must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
15 February 2024
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Lee Vandervis v Dunedin City Council and David Benham
Case number
SC 63/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents (collectively) costs of $2,500.
16 September 2022
B The applicant must pay the respondents (collectively) costs of $2,500.
16 September 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Peter Daniel Staite, Jean Tanirau-Carston and Lynette Kathleen Palmer as trustees and representatives of the beneficiaries of the Whaoa No 1 Lands Trust, Peter Daniel Staite, Jean Tanirau-Carston, Teressa Hurihanganui, Dorothy Raroa and Lynette Kathleen P
Case number
SC 72/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
20 October 2022
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
20 October 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Jing Jun Yu and Andrew Investments (2004) Limited v Dale Gordon Bradley and Jillian Anne Braley
Case number
SC 93/2022
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring a civil appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
21 December 2022
B The applicants must pay the respondents costs of $2,500.
21 December 2022
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Douglas Roy Andrews v The Queen
Case number
SC 2/2021
Summary
Criminal Appeal - application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed
7 April 2021
7 April 2021
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Katharine Elizabeth Preston v Grant Lee Preston and Grant Lee Preston and Fisher Partners Limited as Trustees of the Grant Preston Family Trust
Case number
SC 10/2021
Summary
Civil Appeal
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Preston v Preston [2020] NZCA 679).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss Ms Preston’s appeal in relation to her claim for an award of part of the assets of the Grant Preston Family Trust under s 182 of the Family Proceedings Act 1980.
12 May 2021
____________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B Orders are made that the Grant Preston Family Trust pay the Huntbos Family Trust $141,000 and release any claim to the $192,000 of the funds held on joint account (the Grant Preston Family Trust share of these funds is $102,000 and the Huntbos Family Trust share is $90,000).
C The Grant Preston Family Trust deed is amended by removing the appellant as a discretionary beneficiary.
D Leave is reserved to the parties to seek further directions or orders that may be necessary to give effect to this judgment.
E The first respondent must pay the appellant costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements. We certify for second counsel. Unless the parties can agree, costs in the Courts below are to be redetermined in those Courts in accordance with this judgment.
9 November 2021
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to dismiss Ms Preston’s appeal in relation to her claim for an award of part of the assets of the Grant Preston Family Trust under s 182 of the Family Proceedings Act 1980.
12 May 2021
____________________________________________________________
A The appeal is allowed.
B Orders are made that the Grant Preston Family Trust pay the Huntbos Family Trust $141,000 and release any claim to the $192,000 of the funds held on joint account (the Grant Preston Family Trust share of these funds is $102,000 and the Huntbos Family Trust share is $90,000).
C The Grant Preston Family Trust deed is amended by removing the appellant as a discretionary beneficiary.
D Leave is reserved to the parties to seek further directions or orders that may be necessary to give effect to this judgment.
E The first respondent must pay the appellant costs of $25,000 plus usual disbursements. We certify for second counsel. Unless the parties can agree, costs in the Courts below are to be redetermined in those Courts in accordance with this judgment.
9 November 2021
Date of hearing
03 August 2021
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, O’Regan, Ellen France and Williams JJ
Transcripts
- Hearing date 3 August 2021 (PDF, 444 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2021] NZSC 154 (PDF, 195 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
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