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
Ian Russell Geary v Accident Compensation Corporation
Case number
SC 128/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal fulfilled the role of an appeal court – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that the High Court Rules endorse the practice of a Judge hearing an application for leave to appeal against his or her own decision.[2014] NZCA 534 CA 472/2014
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500 together with disbursements (to be fixed if necessary by the Registrar).
23 February 2015
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500 together with disbursements (to be fixed if necessary by the Registrar).
23 February 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Vincent Ross Siemer v Clare O’Brien and Attorney-General
Case number
SC 130/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the High Court erred in granting the Attorney -General standing to be heard where the proceedings had previously been stayed against the Attorney-General. [2014] NZHC 2886 CIV 2013 485 5611
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500, plus reasonable disbursements.
25 February 2015
___________
Application for recall dismissed.
10 March 2015
___________
Second application for recall dismissed.
5 June 2015
_____________
Judgment reissued.
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the second respondent costs of $2,500, plus reasonable disbursements.
5 June 2015
______________
Third application for recall dismissed.
23 June 2015
B The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500, plus reasonable disbursements.
25 February 2015
___________
Application for recall dismissed.
10 March 2015
___________
Second application for recall dismissed.
5 June 2015
_____________
Judgment reissued.
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the second respondent costs of $2,500, plus reasonable disbursements.
5 June 2015
______________
Third application for recall dismissed.
23 June 2015
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Recall judgment
Case name
Dennis Joseph Gardiner and Hutia Monica Gardiner v Westpac New Zealand Limited
Case number
SC 133/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the mortgagee sale was substantially below the statutory and common law criteria of best price – Whether the sale was arguably unlawful being made to Westpac’s real estate agent’ s licensed salesperson responsible for selling the property – Whether the proceeds of the two mortgagee sales arguably fully repaid the loan but guarantee quantum issues were not summarily determined nor capable of being properly determined on appeal. [2014] NZCA 537 CA 264/2013
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondent costs of $2,500 together with disbursements (to be fixed if necessary by the Registrar).
9 March 2015
B The applicants must pay the respondent costs of $2,500 together with disbursements (to be fixed if necessary by the Registrar).
9 March 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Evgeny Orlov v New Zealand Law Society and others
Case number
SC 135/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Court of Appeal (Civil) Rules 2005, r 35(6) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the application for review of the decision of the Registrar of the Court of Appeal not to dispense with or vary payment of security for costs.[2014] NZCA 569 CA 456/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500 plus reasonable disbursements.
18 February 2015
The applicant must pay the respondents costs of $2,500 plus reasonable disbursements.
18 February 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Allen Louis Harriman v Attorney-General and New Zealand Parole Board
Case number
SC 137/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether there are a number of material errors in the Court of Appeal’s judgment.[2014] NZCA 544 CA 463/2013
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
No order for costs.
14 April 2015
No order for costs.
14 April 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
New Zealand Cards Limited v Colin Ramsay
Case number
SC 138/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal considered all of the issues on which leave was granted – Whether there was unfairness or lawyer misconduct in the process leading to the Court of Appeal judgment – The proper approach to constructive dismissal – Whether on the facts of this case there has been a dismissal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred.[2014] NZCA 512 CA 424/2012
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500. 22 April 2015
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500. 22 April 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Jeremy James McGuire v The Ministry of Justice
Case number
SC 139/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Court of Appeal (Civil) Rules 2005, r 43 – Whether the Notice of Abandonment issued by the Court of Appeal was wrong and a nullity – Whether the Court of Appeal’s Minute dated 31 July 2014 inviting the applicant to apply for an extension of time to appeal was wrong on the facts and in law.[2014] NZCA 556 CA 314/2013
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500 and reasonable disbursements as fixed by the Registrar.
10 March 2015
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500 and reasonable disbursements as fixed by the Registrar.
10 March 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Ngāti Wāhiao v Ngāti Hurungaterangi, Ngāti Taeotu Me Ngāti Te Kahu O Ngāti Whakaue
Case number
SC 141/2014
Summary
Civil Appeal – Arbitration Act 1996, Whether there was any credible basis for the Court of Appeal to find, if it did so find, that the arbitral tribunal misunderstood its task – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its approach to the leave requirements of cl 5 of the Second Schedule to the Arbitration Act.[2014] NZCA 592 CA 592/2014
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B We make no award of costs.
15 May 2015
B We make no award of costs.
15 May 2015
Transcripts
- Hearing date : 1 April 2015 (PDF, 433 KB)
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Vincent Ross Siemer v Michael Peter Stiassney and Korda Mentha
Case number
SC 2/2013
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the registrar’s refusal to dispense with security for costs on the basis that it relied on incorrect evidence, was based on the Judge’s predeterminations regarding the merits of the case, and unjustly restricts the applicant’ s access to the court.CA 362/2012
Result
Application for leave to appeal dismissed.
Costs to the respondent $2,500 plus reasonable disbursements,
7 March 2013
_________________________________________
Application for recall of judgment dismissed.
26 March 2013
_________________________________________
Second application for recall of judgment dismissed.
11 April 2013
Costs to the respondent $2,500 plus reasonable disbursements,
7 March 2013
_________________________________________
Application for recall of judgment dismissed.
26 March 2013
_________________________________________
Second application for recall of judgment dismissed.
11 April 2013
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
SIEMER v STIASSNY SC 2/2013 [7 March 2013] (PDF, 52 KB)
Case name
Taylor Jade Schmidt v Pepper New Zealand (Custodians) Limited and others
Case number
SC 3/2013
Summary
Civil Appeal – Extension of time – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in fact and/or law – Whether the Court of Appeal displayed pre-determination and bias – Whether the Court of Appeal acted on wrong principle – Whether the Court of Appeal took irrelevant matters into account – Whether the Court of Appeal was plainly wrong.[2012] NZCA 565 CA 763/2011; CA 764/2011; CA 765/2011
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
The applicants must pay costs of $2,000 to the second and third respondents and $750 to the first respondent, in each case together with reasonable disbursements to be determined, if necessary, by the Registrar. The liability of the applicants is joint and several.
12 April 2013
The applicants must pay costs of $2,000 to the second and third respondents and $750 to the first respondent, in each case together with reasonable disbursements to be determined, if necessary, by the Registrar. The liability of the applicants is joint and several.
12 April 2013
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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