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.

14 May 2024

Case information summary 2024 (as at 14 May 2024) –  Cases where leave granted (121 KB)
Case information summary 2024 (as at 14 May 2024)  – Cases where leave to appeal decision not yet made (PDF, 92 KB)

2023

Case name
T v The King
Case number
SC 111/2023
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
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.
14 November 2023
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Peter T Rex LLC, Barbara T Rex LLC and AB v NZME Publishing Limited
Case number
SC 112/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay one set of costs of $2,500 to the respondent.
15 February 2024
High Court decision
Not publicly available
Court of Appeal decision
Not publicly available
Case name
Brett Owen Taylor v The King
Case number
SC 113/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 February 2024
District Court decision
Not publicly available
Leave judgment - leave dismissed
Case name
Lynette Joy Mills and Carl James Peterson v Kelly Dalzell, Tracey Howard Levenbach, ASB Bank Limited, Graham Howard Mills, John Levenbach and Carole Krammer
Case number
SC 114/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the first and third, the fourth, and the fifth and sixth respondents three sets of costs of $1,000.
8 February 2024
Case name
Razdan Rafiq v Chief Executive for the Department of Internal Affairs and Minister of Internal Affairs
Case number
SC 115/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicant must pay the respondents one set of costs of $2,500.
19 April 2024
Case name
Mark James McLaughlin and Andrew Ashley McLaughlin v John David Manuel McLaughlin
Case number
SC 116/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
B The applicants must pay the respondent costs of $2,500.
15 February 2024
Case name
H v the King
Case number
SC 117/2023
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
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.
14 November 2023
Case name
Jessie Arthur Heke-Gray v The King
Case number
SC 118/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is dismissed.
9 May 2024
Case name
John Howard Carter v Capital and Coast District Health Board, Hutt Valley District Health Board and Attorney-General (for the Ministry of Health)
Case number
SC 119/2023
Summary
Civil Appeal - Application for leave to bring an appeal
Case name
Damin Peter Cook v The King
Case number
SC 120/2023
Summary
Criminal Appeal
Result
A The application for an extension of time to apply for leave to appeal is granted.
B The application for leave to appeal is granted (Cook v R [2023] NZCA 342).
C The approved question is whether the Court of Appeal was correct to treat Mr Cook’s defence as insane automatism.
19 February 2024
Date of hearing
23 July 2024 - 24 July 2024
Judges
Winkelmann CJ, Glazebrook, Williams, Kós and Miller JJ
District Court decision
Court of Appeal decision
Leave judgment - leave granted