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
Barry Ross Laurence Castleton-Reid v Ross Ronayne Reid
Case number
SC 89/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the respondent did not intend to make a gift to the applicant – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in finding that the money transferred to the applicant was held on resulting trust for the respondent.
Result
A Notice of Abandonment having been filed the application for leave to appeal is deemed to be dismissed.
17 October 2019
17 October 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Case name
Lee Kalso Peri Thompson v The Queen
Case number
SC 90/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring a pre-trial appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B 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 the trial. Publication in a law report or law digest permitted.
23 October 2019
B 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 the trial. Publication in a law report or law digest permitted.
23 October 2019
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Paul Neville Bublitz v The Queen
Case number
SC 91/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Crimes Act 1961, s 220 – Party to offence – Failure to give adequate reasons for verdict – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against conviction.
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
9 December 2019
9 December 2019
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
High Court decision
Case name
Bruce Alexander McKay v The Queen
Case number
SC 92/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Crimes Act 1961, s 220 – Party to offence – Failure to give adequate reasons for verdict – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s appeal against conviction.
Result
The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
9 December 2019
9 December 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Lance David Morrison v The Queen
Case number
SC 93/2019 SC 94/2019
Summary
Criminal Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the applicant’s quantum appeal for costs under s 5 of the Costs in Criminal Cases Act 1967
Result
A The applications for leave to appeal are dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
9 December 2019
B There is no order as to costs.
9 December 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Nicholas Paul Alfred Reekie v Complainant A & B
Case number
SC 95/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in refusing to grant the applicant an extension of time.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed
B There is no order as to costs
18 November 2019
______________________________
A The application for recall is allowed only to make the corrections identified at [6] in [2019] NZSC 154.
B The judgment of this Court of 18 November 2019 (Reekie v Claimants A & B [2019] NZSC 127) is reissued with these corrections.
23 December 2019
_________________________________________
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
Reissued 23 December 2019
B There is no order as to costs
18 November 2019
______________________________
A The application for recall is allowed only to make the corrections identified at [6] in [2019] NZSC 154.
B The judgment of this Court of 18 November 2019 (Reekie v Claimants A & B [2019] NZSC 127) is reissued with these corrections.
23 December 2019
_________________________________________
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
Reissued 23 December 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Recall judgment
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Sealegs International Limited v Yun Zhang, Orion Limited and Orion Marine Limited, Smuggler Marine Limited, Darren Leybourne, Vladan Zubcic, David Pringle and Stryda Marine Limited
Case number
SC 96/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in its approach to “functional operability” or “functional constraints” in determining whether industrially applied artistic works were protected by copyright law.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $4,500 plus usual disbursements to the respondents collectively.
13 December 2019
B The applicant must pay costs of $4,500 plus usual disbursements to the respondents collectively.
13 December 2019
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Transcript
Case name
Peter Richard Prescott v New Zealand Police
Case number
SC 97/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal erred in dismissing the application for an extension of time to appeal.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
22 November 2019
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 22 November 2019 (Prescott v New Zealand Police [2019] NZSC 133) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
5 March 2021
B The applicant must pay costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
22 November 2019
A The application for recall of this Court’s judgment of 22 November 2019 (Prescott v New Zealand Police [2019] NZSC 133) is dismissed.
B There is no order as to costs.
5 March 2021
High Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Recall judgment
Case name
Malcolm Rabson v Judicial Conduct Commissioner and Supreme Court of New Zealand
Case number
SC 98/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the High Court erred in striking out the applicant’s proceeding.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The Supreme Court of New Zealand is removed as a proposed party from this proceeding.
C Mr Rabson is to pay costs of $250 to the Crown Law Office.
18 November 2019
B The Supreme Court of New Zealand is removed as a proposed party from this proceeding.
C Mr Rabson is to pay costs of $250 to the Crown Law Office.
18 November 2019
High Court decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Calim Ioan v Scott Technology NZ Limited
Case number
SC 99/2019
Summary
Civil Appeal – Whether the Court of Appeal correctly applied s 67B of the Employment Relations Act 2000 in relation to the termination of the applicant’s employment – Whether the applicant was unjustifiably dismissed based on the notice period.
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the respondent.
19 November 2019
B Costs of $2,500 are awarded to the respondent.
19 November 2019
Employment Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
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