O’Neill v Chief of Army [2017] ADFDAT 6

DEFENCE FORCE DISCIPLINE APPEAL TRIBUNAL

O'Neill v Chief of Army [2017] ADFDAT 6 Appeal from: Defence Force Magistrate

File number: DFDAT 1 of 2017

Members: TRACEY (PRESIDENT), LOGAN (DEPUTY PRESIDENT) AND HILEY (MEMBER) JJ

Date of decision: 3 November 2017

Catchwords: DEFENCE – appeal from a decision of a Defence Force Magistrate ("DFM") – where appellant found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm contrary to s 61(3) of the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 (Cth) and s 24(1) of the Crimes Act 1900 (ACT) – whether the DFM erred in the application of the relevant test for self-defence – whether the DFM erred in finding that the prosecution had negatived self-defence – whether the conviction is unreasonable and/or cannot be supported having regard to the evidence and the factual findings on the evidence – whether, in all the circumstances of the case, the conviction is unsafe or unsatisfactory and should be quashed

Legislation: Constitution ss 51(vi), 68 Crimes Act 1900 (ACT) s 24(1) Criminal Code 2002 (ACT) s 42 Criminal Law Act 1967 (UK) s 3 Defence Act 1903 (Cth) Pt III Div 1, s 61 Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 (Cth) ss 33(a), 61(3) Defence Force Discipline Appeals Act 1955 (Cth) s 21(1)(b)

Cases cited: AK v Western Australia (2008) 232 CLR 438; [2008] HCA 8 Angre v Chief of Navy (No 3) [2017] ADFDAT 2 Burdett v Abbot (1812) 4 Taunt. 401; 128 ER 384 Burkhart v Bradley (2013) 33 NTLR 79; [2013] NTCA 5 Dal Cortivo v The Queen (2010) 204 A Crim R 55; [2010] ACTCA 14 Davis v Chief of Army [2011] ADFDAT 1 Douglass v The Queen (2012) 86 ALJR 1086; [2012] HCA 34 Filippou v The Queen (2015) 256 CLR 47; [2015] HCA 29 Fleming v The Queen (1998) 197 CLR 250; [1998] HCA 68 Groves v The Commonwealth (1982) 150 CLR 113 Harafias v R [2016] NSWCCA 268 Lin v Tasmania (2015) 252 A Crim R 64; [2015] TASCCA 13 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487 MFA v The Queen (2002) 213 CLR 606; [2002] HCA 53 Millar v Bornholt (2009) 177 FCR 67; [2009] FCA 637 Miller v The Queen (2016) 90 ALJR 918; [2016] HCA 30 R v Conlon (1993) 69 A Crim R 92 R v Forsyth [2013] ACTSC 174 R v Hall [2015] ACTSC 408 R v Hawes (1994) 35 NSWLR 294 R v Jones (Margaret) [2007] 1 AC 136; [2006] UKHL 16 R v Winner (1995) 79 A Crim R 528 R v Yates [1970] SASR 302 Re Aird; Ex parte Alpert (2004) 220 CLR 308; [2004] HCA 44 Re Tracey; Ex parte Ryan (1989) 166 CLR 518 Selby v R [2017] NSWCCA 40 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 W v R [2014] NSWCCA 110 Zecevic v Director of Public Prosecutions (Vic) (1987) 162 CLR 645