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.

28 November 2025

Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 28 November 2025)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 120 KB)

All years

Case name
Peter John Chambers v The Queen 
Case number
SC 118/2018
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by not admitting evidence under section 44 of the Evidence Act 2006.
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
22 February 2019
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
ARONA & CHAMBERS v R [2018] NZCA 427 [12 October 2018]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MARK ARONA AND PETER CHAMBERS v R [2019] NZSC 12 [22 February 2019] (PDF, 45 KB)
Case name
W v The Queen
Case number
SC 119/2018
Summary
Order prohibiting publication of the judgment or any part of the proceedings (including the result) in the news media or on the internet or other publicly available database until final disposition of the trial. Publication in a law report or law digest permitted.   
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 remains in force.  Publication in law report or law digest permitted.
11 March 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Malcolm Edward Rabson as Trustee of the Malcolm Rabson Family Trust v Ian Bruce Shepherd and Christine Margaret Dunphy
Case number
SC 1/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Court of Appeal (Civil) Rules 2005, r 43(2) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining the application for an extension of time. [2016] NZCA 446   CA51/2016
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
23 June 2017
High Court decision
SHEPHARD v RABSON [2015] NZHC 3137  9 December 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON v SHEPHARD AND DUNPHY [2017] NZSC 97   23 June 2017 (PDF, 84 KB)
NZCA judgment

RABSON AND CRESER AS TRUSTEES OF THE MALCOLM RABSON FAMILY TRUST v SHEPHARD [2016] NZCA 446 [19 September 2016]
Case name
Donna Michelle Ritchie v Accident Compensation Corporation
Case number
SC 2/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Accident Compensation Act 2001, s 110(3) – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of s 110(3) of the Accident Compensation Act 2001 –  Whether the Court of Appeal erred in applying McGrath v Accident Compensation Corporation [2011] NZSC 77, [2011] 3 NZLR 733 –  Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its assessment of evidence.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
1 May 2017
High Court decision
DONNA RITCHIE V ACCIDENT COMPENSATION CORPORATION [2015] NZHC 2305     23 September 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DONNA MICHELLE RITCHIE v ACCIDENT COMPENSATION CORPORATION [2017] NZSC 54    1 May 2017 (PDF, 77 KB)
Judgment appealed from

DONNA MICHELLE RITCHIE v ACCIDENT COMPENSATION CORPORATION [2016] NZCA 577   2 December 2016
Case name
Malcolm Edward Rabson v Linda Gallagher, Malcolm Edward Rabson as Trustee of the Malcolm Rabson Family Trust and Wayne Seymour Chapman as Trustee of the Gallagher-Rabson Family Trust
Case number
SC 3/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal was correct to decline the application for clarification of the orders in Rabson v Gallagher [2011] NZCA 669.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to each of the first and third respondents. 5 April 2017 ________________ The application for recall is dismissed. 4 May 2017
Recall judgment
MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON v LINDA GALLAGHER [2017] NZSC 63    4 May 2017 (PDF, 69 KB)
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON v LINDA GALLAGHER [2017] NZSC 44    5 April 2017 (PDF, 93 KB)
CA judgment
MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON AS TRUSTEE OF THE MALCOLM RABSON FAMILY TRUST V LINDA   GALLAGHER COA CA507/2010   20 December 2011
Judgment appealed from

RABSON AS TRUSTEE OF THE MALCOLM RABSON FAMILIY TRUST v GALLAGHER [2016] NZCA 584    6 December 2016
Case name
Malcolm Edward Rabson v Judicial Conduct Commissioner
Case number
SC 4/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the High Court erred in striking out the applicant’s application for judicial review of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner’ s decision that it did not have jurisdiction to consider the applicant’ s complaint.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
27 March 2017
________________________
The application for recall is dismissed.    
9 May 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON v JUDICIAL CONDUCT COMMISSIONER [2017] NZSC 39  27 March 2017 (PDF, 74 KB)
Recall judgment
MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON v JUDICIAL CONDUCT COMMISSIONER [2017] NZSC 66    9 May 2017 (PDF, 70 KB)
HC judgment appealed from

MALCOLM EDWARD RABSON v JUDICIAL CONDUCT COMMISSIONER [2016] NZHC 3162   20 December 2016                                              __
Case name
Gary Owen Burgess v Malley & Co 
Case number
SC 5/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred by declining to remove the respondent’s legal representatives
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondent costs of $2,500. 27 March 2017
High Court decision
MALLEY & CO v BURGESS [2016] NZHC 907    5 May 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
GARY OWEN BURGESS v MALLEY & CO [2017] NZSC 38   27 March 2017 (PDF, 76 KB)
Judgment appealed from

BURGESS v MALLEY & CO [2016] NZCA 585   6 December 2016
Case name
David Keith Silby v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 6/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Criminal Procedure Act 2011, s 237 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining leave to bring a second appeal against conviction and sentence in respect of offences under the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed. 7 April 2017
High Court decision
SILBY v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2016] NZHC 162   15 February 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DAVID KEITH SILBY v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2017] NZSC 46   7 April 2017 (PDF, 68 KB)
Judgment appealed from

SILBY v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2016] NZCA 592  9 December 2016
Case name
Hyun Su Park v Joong Song Kwak and Hye Sook Kwak, Andrew J Steele and Jarred Scott, Tim J Rainey and Jonathan Wood
Case number
SC 7/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act 2006, ss 93 and 95 – Whether the High Court and Court of Appeal erred in their approach to a second appeal under the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Act.
Result
A The application is dismissed for want of jurisdiction.
B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the third respondents.                
9 February 2017
High Court decision
KWAK & ANOR v PARK [2016] NZHC 530    24 March 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
HYUN SU PARK v JOONG SONG KWAK AND HYE SOOK KWAK [2017] NZSC 2  9 February 2017 (PDF, 77 KB)
Judgment appealed from

PARK v KWAK & ANOR [2016] NZCA 574   8 December 2016 not available online  _
Case name
Nicholas David Wright v Vijay Bhosale and Attorney-General 
Case number
SC 8/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, ss 21, 23 and 24(a) –Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding there was no breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its assessment of the intention required to obtain exemplary damages.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant is to pay costs of $2,500 to the second respondent. 9 May 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
NICHOLAS DAVID WRIGHT v VIJAY BHOSALE AND ATTORNEY-GENERAL [2017] NZSC 69   9 May 2017 (PDF, 76 KB)
High Court decision
WRIGHT v BHOSALE & ANOR [2016] NZHC 3367   21 December 2015
Judgment appealed from

WRIGHT v BHOSALE & ANOR [2016] NZCA 593  9 December 2016
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