Jackmain (a pseudonym) v R [2020] NSWCCA 150

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Jackmain (a pseudonym) v R [2020] NSWCCA 150 Hearing dates: 8 April 2020 Decision date: 03 July 2020 Before: Bathurst CJ at [1]; Leeming JA at [26]; Johnson J at [230]; Button J at [236]; Wilson J at [240]. Decision: 1. Grant leave to appeal confined to grounds 1-5. 2. Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: APPEALS – jurisdiction – challenges to evidentiary rulings at trial by Crown and accused – whether jurisdiction of Court of Criminal Appeal to review refusal of permanent stay permitted accused to challenge evidentiary rulings – whether Crown could, in absence of an appeal, challenge a contingent ruling concerning tendency evidence – no jurisdiction to entertain either challenge APPEALS – stare decisis – Court invited to depart from longstanding authority on statutory provision – sustained criticism of section by courts and law reform bodies – test for departing from settled construction – significance of re-enactment of legislation substantially unaltered despite criticisms CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – principle in Kable v DPP – whether law which precluded questioning complainant in sexual offence prosecution substantially impaired court's institutional integrity – where court retained power to stay prosecution – challenge to validity dismissed CRIMINAL LAW – permanent stay – where statute said to cause significant prejudice to accused, to give jury a distorted picture and to detract from prosecutor's obligations of fairness – complainant permitted to be asked certain questions not infringing s 293 – nature and extent of prejudice not presently ascertainable – application dismissed EVIDENCE – Criminal Procedure Act (NSW), s 293 – provision precludes questions disclosing or implying that complainant has or may have taken part or not taken part in any sexual activity – accused sought to rely on evidence that complainant had previously fabricated claims of sexual assault – evidence of varying qualities, ranging from third hand hearsay to pleading guilty to making a false report – whether s 293 applied to evidence of fabrication – whether s 293 applied to "proven" instances of fabrication – whether instances of false complaint over many years comprised a "connected series of events" occurring "at or about the same time" as the commission of the offence – history of s 293, its predecessors and its counterparts in other jurisdictions considered Legislation Cited: Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), s 41 Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 59(1), 61I, 409B, 578A Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sentencing) Act 1999 Crimes (Sexual Assault) Amendment Act 1981 (NSW), Sch 1 Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5F Criminal Code RSC, 1985, c C-46, ss 276, 277 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1978 (Qld), s 4 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1978 (Qld), s 4 Criminal Legislation Amendment (Child Sexual Abuse) Act 2018 (NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), ss 105, 291, 293, 294A, 294B, 294C Criminal Procedure Amendment (Justices and Local Court) Act 2001 (NSW), Sch 1 item 123 Criminal Procedure Further Amendment (Evidence) Act 2005, Sch 1 item 10 Evidence Act 1906 (WA), ss 36A-36C Evidence Act 1910 (Tas), s 101A Evidence Act 1929 (SA), s 34I Evidence Act 1958 (Vic), s 37A Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 55, 135, 137, 192A Evidence Act Amendment Act 1976 (SA) Evidence Act Amendment Act 1976 (WA) Evidence Act (No 3) 1976 (Tas) Rape Offences (Proceedings) Act 1976 (Vic) Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic), ss 7, 75, 77 Cases Cited: ACT Construction Ltd v Commissioners of Customs and Excise Commissioners [1981] 1 WLR 1542 Adams v R [2018] NSWCCA 303 Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue (Northern Territory) (2009) 239 CLR 27; [2009] HCA 41 ASIC v DB Management Pty Ltd (2000) 199 CLR 321; [2000] HCA 7 Assistant Commissioner Condon v Pompano Pty Ltd (2013) 252 CLR 38; [2013] HCA 7 Attorney-General (NT) v Emmerson (2014) 253 CLR 393; [2014] HCA 13 Babaniaris v Lutony Fashions Pty Ltd (1987) 163 CLR 1; [1987] HCA 19 Bell Lawyers Pty Ltd v Pentelow [2019] HCA 29; 93 ALJR 1007 Bell v R [2017] NSWCCA 207 Bourne v Keane [1919] AC 815 Bull v The Queen (2000) 201 CLR 443; [2000] HCA 24 Cheikho v R (2008) 75 NSWLR 323; [2008] NSWCCA 191 Chief Commissioner of State Revenue v Adams Bidco Pty Ltd [2019] NSWCA 34 DAO v The Queen (2011) 81 NSWLR 568; [2011] NSWCCA 63 Decision restricted v R [2020] NSWCCA 115 Dupas v The Queen (2010) 241 CLR 237; [2010] HCA 20 Electrolux Home Products Pty Ltd v Australian Workers' Union (2004) 221 CLR 309; [2004] HCA 40 Federal Commissioner of Taxation v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (2012) 250 CLR 503; [2012] HCA 55 Flaherty v Girgis (1987) 162 CLR 574; [1987] HCA 17 Gedeon v Commissioner of the New South Wales Crime Commission (2008) 236 CLR 120; [2008] HCA 43 GEH v R [2012] NSWCCA 150; 228 A Crim R 32 Grills v The Queen; PJE v The Queen [1996] HCATrans 351 and 353 Gypsy Jokers Motorcycle Club Inc v Commissioner of Police (2008) 234 CLR 532; [2008] HCA 4 Ha v New South Wales (1997) 189 CLR 465; [1997] HCA 34 HG v The Queen (1999) 197 CLR 414; [1999] HCA 2 Jago v District Court of NSW (1989) 168 CLR 23; [1989] HCA 46 Kable v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (1996) 189 CLR 51; [1996] HCA 24 Kentwell v The Queen (2014) 252 CLR 601; [2014] HCA 37 KS v Veitch (No 2) (2012) 84 NSWLR 172; [2012] NSWCCA 266 Liristis v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2018] NSWCCA 196 M v R (1993) 67 A Crim R 549 McCloy v New South Wales (2015) 257 CLR 178; [2015] HCA 34 New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council v Minister Administering the Crown Lands Act (2016) 260 CLR 232; [2016] HCA 50 Obeid v R (2015) 91 NSWLR 226; [2015] NSWCCA 309 People v Hackett 421 Mich 328; 365 NW 2d 120 (1984) Plaintiff M76/2013 v Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship (2013) 251 CLR 322; [2013] HCA 53 Poidevin v Semaan (2013) 85 NSWLR 758; [2013] NSWCA 334 Pollentine v Bleijie (2014) 253 CLR 629; [2014] HCA 30 Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd v Shade Systems Pty Ltd (2018) 264 CLR 1; [2018] HCA 4 Project Blue Sky Inc v Australian Broadcasting Authority (1998) 194 CLR 355; [1998] HCA 28 R v A2 (2019) 93 ALJR 1106; [2019] HCA 35 R v Bernthaler (NSWCCA, unreported, 17 December 1993) R v Blackett [2018] NSWCCA 114 R v Burton [2013] NSWCCA 335; 237 A Crim R 238 R v Edwards [2015] NSWCCA 24 R v Gregory [2002] NSWCCA 199 R v Miller [2007] QCA 373; 177 A Crim R 528 R v Moore (2015) 91 NSWLR 276; [2015] NSWCCA 316 R v Morgan (1993) 30 NSWLR 543; 67 A Crim R 526 R v PJE (unreported, NSWCCA, 9 October 1995) R v Portus; Ex parte ANZ Banking Group Ltd (1972) 127 CLR 353; [1972] HCA 57 R v RB; Attorney-General (NSW) as Intervenor [2019] NSWDC 368 R v RB; Attorney-General (NSW) as Intervenor (No 2) [2019] NSWDC 511 R v RD [2016] NSWCCA 84 R v Reynhoudt (1962) 107 CLR 381; [1962] HCA 23 R v Steffan (1993) 30 NSWLR 633; 67 A Crim R 506 R v Unger [1977] 2 NSWLR 990 R v White (1989) 18 NSWLR 332 Ras Behari Lal v King-Emperor (1933) LR 60 Ind App 354 Re Alcan Australia Ltd; Ex parte Federation of Industrial, Manufacturing and Engineering Employees (1994) 181 CLR 96; [1994] HCA 34 Salvation Army (Vic) Property Trust v Fern Tree Gully Corporation (1952) 85 CLR 159; [1952] HCA 4 Seaboyer v The Queen; Gayme v The Queen [1991] 2 SCR 577 SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2017) 262 CLR 362; [2017] HCA 34 The Queen v Ireland (1970) 126 CLR 321; [1970] HCA 1 TS v R [2014] NSWCCA 174 Turnbull v R [2016] NSWCCA 109 Vella v Commissioner of Police (NSW) [2019] HCA 38; 93 ALJR 1236 Walton v Gardiner (1993) 177 CLR 378; [1993] HCA 77 Zickar v MGH Plastic Industries Pty Ltd (1996) 187 CLR 310; [1996] HCA 31 Texts Cited: Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC Report 114) and New South Wales Law Reform Commission (NSWLRC Report 128) Family Violence – A National Legal Response (2010) S Caringella, Addressing Rape Reform in Law and Practice (Columbia University Press, 2009) Model Criminal Code Officers Committee of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General: Model Criminal Code – Chapter 5: Sexual Offences Against the Person (1999) New South Wales Law Reform Commission's Report 87: Review of Section 409B of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) (1998) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jackmain (a pseudonym) (Applicant) Crown (Respondent) Attorney-General (NSW) (Intervener) Representation: Counsel: K Richardson SC, C Mitchell, F Graham (Applicant) L Babb SC, B Baker (Respondent) M Sexton SC, K Pham (Intervener)