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
Alister James Reid v The Queen
Case number
SC 29/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the hearsay statement by the complainant was correctly admitted as evidence at the applicant’s trial.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
7 July 2017
7 July 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
ALISTER JAMES REID v R [2017] NZSC 108 7 July 2017 (PDF, 69 KB)
Judgment appealed from
DC (not available publicly) :
Case name
Director of Civil Aviation v New Zealand Airline Pilots' Association Industrial Union of Workers Incorporated and Wellington International Airport Limited
Case number
SC 30/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Civil Aviation Rules, Part 139 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of the term “practicable” in Part 139 of the Civil Aviation Rules – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its consideration of the matters that the Director of Civil Aviation may take into account.
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (New Zealand Air Line Pilots' Association Industrial Union of Workers Inc v Director of Civil Aviation and Wellington International Airport Ltd [2017] NZCA 27).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the first respondent’s appeal to that Court.
16 May 2017
_________________
A The appeals are dismissed.
B The Director of Civil Aviation and Wellington International Airport Limited are jointly and severally liable to pay costs of $30,000 to the New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association Industrial Union of Workers Incorporated, plus reasonable disbursements to be determined by the Registrar if necessary. We allow for second counsel.
21 December 2017
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the first respondent’s appeal to that Court.
16 May 2017
_________________
A The appeals are dismissed.
B The Director of Civil Aviation and Wellington International Airport Limited are jointly and severally liable to pay costs of $30,000 to the New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association Industrial Union of Workers Incorporated, plus reasonable disbursements to be determined by the Registrar if necessary. We allow for second counsel.
21 December 2017
Transcripts
- Hearing date 24 - 25 August 2017 (PDF, 506 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2017] NZSC 199 (PDF, 316 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
L v W
Case number
SC 31/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Supreme Court has jurisdiction to hear an appeal by a complainant in a criminal matter – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its analysis of the complainant’s credibility.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
21 June 2017
21 June 2017
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
L (SC 31/2017) v R [2017] NZSC 94 21 June 2017 (PDF, 79 KB)
Judgment appealed from
W (CA731/2015) v R [2017] NZCA 73 not electronically available __
Case name
Midgen Enterprises Limited and David James Midgen v Water Guard NZ Limited
Case number
SC 32/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in overturning the costs award of the High Court.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants are to pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
9 May 2017
B The applicants are to pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
9 May 2017
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Ahu Stanley Taylor v The Queen
Case number
SC 33/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeals against conviction and sentence.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
4 July 2017
4 July 2017
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
AHU STANLEY TAYLOR v R [2017] NZSC 104 [4 July 2017] (PDF, 87 KB)
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Stevenson Brown Limited v Montecillo Trust
Case number
SC 34/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that a short form agreement limiting the liability of the applicant was not incorporated into the contract of engagement between the applicant and respondent.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the respondent.
22 June 2017
B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the respondent.
22 June 2017
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
David Stanley Tranter v The Queen
Case number
SC 35/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in upholding the applicant’s conviction(s) – Whether there were sufficient grounds to impose a sentence of preventive detention.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
12 December 2017
12 December 2017
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Matthew Richard Brown v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 36/2017
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Criminal Procedure Act 2011 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in declining leave to bring second appeals against conviction and sentence.
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
18 August 2017
18 August 2017
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Judgment appealed from
Case name
Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust v Invercargill City Council
Case number
SC 37/2017
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that no duty of care was owed by the Invercargill City Council to the Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its application of limitation and contributory negligence principles
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Invercargill City Council v Southland Indoor Leisure Centre Charitable Trust
[2017] NZCA 68).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to reverse the judgment of Dunningham J.
30 May 2017
__________________________
A The appeal is allowed in part.
B The finding made in the High Court upholding the appellant’s claim against the respondent is restored. The finding of the Court of Appeal that the appellant was contributorily negligent and that an award of damages should be reduced by 50 per cent is upheld. Judgment is entered accordingly. Leave is reserved to the parties to apply if any issues arise about the calculation of the judgment sum (including interest).
C The respondent must pay the appellant costs of $15,000 and reasonable disbursements to be determined by the Registrar if necessary. We allow for second counsel.
D The costs awards made in the Court of Appeal and in the High Court are set aside. If costs in those Courts cannot be agreed they should be set by the Court of Appeal and the High Court respectively in light of this judgment.
14 December 2017
[2017] NZCA 68).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to reverse the judgment of Dunningham J.
30 May 2017
__________________________
A The appeal is allowed in part.
B The finding made in the High Court upholding the appellant’s claim against the respondent is restored. The finding of the Court of Appeal that the appellant was contributorily negligent and that an award of damages should be reduced by 50 per cent is upheld. Judgment is entered accordingly. Leave is reserved to the parties to apply if any issues arise about the calculation of the judgment sum (including interest).
C The respondent must pay the appellant costs of $15,000 and reasonable disbursements to be determined by the Registrar if necessary. We allow for second counsel.
D The costs awards made in the Court of Appeal and in the High Court are set aside. If costs in those Courts cannot be agreed they should be set by the Court of Appeal and the High Court respectively in light of this judgment.
14 December 2017
Transcripts
- Hearing date 10 - 11 August 2017 (PDF, 853 KB)
Media Releases
- MR [2017] NZSC 190 (PDF, 280 KB)
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted
Substantive judgment
Case name
R v The Queen
Case number
SC 38/2017
Summary
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.[2017] NZCA 55 CA606/2016
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 June 2017
Judgment appealed from
[2017] NZCA 55 not publicly available
Lower court judgment
R v [S] DC Auckland CRI-2008-090-3508, 18 May 2010, not publicly available
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