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.

12 December 2025

Case information summary 2025 (as at 18 December 2025) –  Cases where leave granted (PDF, 87 KB)
Case information summary 2025 (as at 18 December 2025)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 121 KB)

All years

Case name
Dinh Tu Do v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 114/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal –Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the order made by the District Court Judge under s 65B of the Land Transport Act 1998 did not operate retrospectively – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding the sentencing Judge was not required to give a warning at the time of the first offence that a s 65B order could be made if a second offence was later committed. [2016] NZCA 420   CA600/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
13 February 2017
High Court decision
DO v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2015] NZHC 2235   16 September 2015
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DINH TU DO v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2017] NZSC 7   13 February 2017 (PDF, 84 KB)
Judgment appealed from

DO v NEW ZEALAND POLICE [2016] NZCA 420    8 September 2016
Case name
Kawarau Village Holdings Limited and Melview (Kawarau Falls Station) Investments Limited (in receivership) v Ho Kok Sun, Peninsula Road Limited (in receivership & in liquidation) and Russell McVeagh
Case number
SC 115/2016
Summary
Civil appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its interpretation of a sale and purchase agreement – Whether there was breach of an essential obligation – Whether the purchasers were required to settle the agreement when called upon.NZCA 427 CA105/2015
Result
A Leave to appeal is granted (Sun and Ors v Peninsula Road Ltd (in rec and in liq) [2016] NZCA 427).
B The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to allow the respondents’ appeal to that Court.                    
21 December 2016
_______________________________
A The appeal is dismissed.
B The appellants must pay the first respondents costs of $35,000 plus reasonable disbursements (to be fixed by the Registrar if necessary).  We allow for two counsel.
6 October 2017
Transcripts
Media Releases
High Court decision
SUN & ORS v PENINSULA ROAD LTD (In R’ship and in Liq) [2015] NZHC 126 [10 February 2015]
Court of Appeal decision
HO KOK SUN AND ORS v PENINSULA ROAD LIMITED (IN RECEIVERSHIP AND IN LIQUIDATION) [2016] NZCA 427 [9 September 2016]
Leave judgment - leave granted
KAWARAU VILLAGE HOLDINGS LIMITED v HO KOK SUN AND ORS [2016] NZSC 171 [21 December 2016] (PDF, 107 KB)
Substantive judgment
KAWARAU VILLAGE HOLDINGS LIMITED v HO KOK SUN AND OTHERS [2017] NZSC 150 [6 October 2017] (PDF, 610 KB)
Case name
NR v MR and Jackson Russell and District Court at Auckland
Case number
SC 116/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the process followed by the Court of Appeal in determining the applicant’s appeal was consistent with the principles of natural justice. [2016] NZCA 429    CA461/2014
Result
A The applications for recusal and leave to appeal are dismissed.
B Costs of $5,000 are awarded to the first respondent.
6 December 2016
Court of Appeal decision
NR v DISTRICT COURT AT AUCKLAND [2016] NZCA 429 [12 September 2016]
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
NR v MR [2016] NZSC 160 [6 December 2016] (PDF, 89 KB)
Case name
T v The Queen
Case number
SC 117/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal on the ground that the use of representative charges covering 10–12 years was unfair.[2016] NZCA 235   CA 561/2014
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.                                10 February 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
T (SC 117/2016) v R [2017] NZSC 6     10 February 2017 (PDF, 78 KB)
Judgment appealed from

T (CA561/2014) V R [2016] NZCA 235     31 May 2016
Case name
S v The Queen
Case number
SC 119/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Appeal against conviction – Customs and Excise Act 1996, s 151 – Evidence Act 2006, s 30 – Whether Court of Appeal erred in finding s 151 Customs and Excise Act authorised warrantless search – Whether Court of Appeal erred in not excluding evidence under s 30 Evidence Act.    [2016] NZCA 448   CA712/2015
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.                              
22 December 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
S (SC 119/2016) v R [2016] NZSC 172    22 December 2016 (PDF, 73 KB)
Judgment appealed from

S (CA712/2015) v R [2016] NZCA 448  20 September 2016
Case name
Rae Beverly Adlam v John Tionga Savage, Lawrence Te Aokahari Niao, Patrick Mayne Savage, Samuel Kelvin Barnes and Tamati Drawbridge as Trustees of the Matata Parish 39A 2A Ahu Whenua Trust; and Helen Maria Savage and Raelyn Arihia Peita as Trustees of
Case number
SC 120/2016
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in reinstating the order of the Māori Land Court requiring the applicant to account to the Bath Trust in the amount of $11,200,000.            [2016] NZCA 454   CA223/2015
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the first respondents.
C The order for stay of the determination of the Court of Appeal made on 23 November 2016 is discharged.
17 February 2017
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
RAE BEVERLY ADLAM v JOHN TIONGA SAVAGE, LAWRENCE TE AOKAHARI NIAO, PATRICKMAYNE SAVAGE, SAMUEL KELVIN BARNES AND TAMATI DRAWBRIDGE AS TRUSTEES OF THEMATATA PARISH 39A 2A AHU WHENUA TRUST [2017] NZSC 11  17 February 2017 (PDF, 186 KB)
Judgment appealed from

RAE BEVERLY ADLAM v JOHN TIONGA SAVAGE & ORS [2016] NZCA 454  22 September 2016
Case name
B v The Queen
Case number
SC 121/2016
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. [2016] NZCA 461   CA326/2016
Result

Judgment released.
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.       

5 December 2016
SC judgment
not publicly available
Judgment appealed from
not publicly available
Case name
Dominique Anita Reti v The Queen
Case number
SC 122/2016
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Evidence Act 2006, s 45 – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in holding that visual identification evidence identifying the applicant was properly admitted at trial.                                      [2016] NZCA 447   CA312/2016
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.                               21 December 2016
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
DOMINIQUE ANITA RETI v R [2016] NZSC 169  21 December 2016 (PDF, 92 KB)
Judgment appealed from 

RETI v R [2016] NZCA 447      19 September 2016
Case name
W v The Queen
Case number
SC 123/2016
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.[2016] NZCA 461   CA310/2016
Result

Judgment released.
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. 

5 December 2016
SC judgment
not publicly available
Judgment appealed from
not publicly available
Case name
C v The Queen
Case number
SC 124/2016
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.
Result
Judgment released.
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 retrial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.                                                                                               
21 December 2016
--
Judgment released.
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 retrial. Publication in law report or law digest permitted.                                                                                               
26 September 2017
Substantive judgment
CYRUS CHRISTIAN (AKA WILLIAM JOHN TASSELL) v R [2017] NZSC 145 [26 September 2017] (PDF, 314 KB)
Transcript

Hearing date : 29 March 2017                                                                      
Chief Justice, William Young, Glazebrook, O'Regan and Ellen France JJ.
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