Lee v R [2023] NSWCCA 203

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Lee v R [2023] NSWCCA 203 Hearing dates: 26 June 2023 Date of orders: 21 August 2023 Decision date: 21 August 2023 Before: Kirk JA at [1]; Button J at [103]; Lonergan J at [187] Decision: 1 Grant leave to appeal. 2 Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIME — Appeals — Appeal against conviction — Unreasonable verdict — Contradictory testimony — Complainant's evidence not inherently implausible — Advantages of the jury over appeal court include the way in which juries are constituted and operate — Jury's verdict not unreasonable CRIME — Appeals — Appeal against conviction — Miscarriage of justice — Whether directions were required under ss 292-292E of Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) — Transitional provisions — Phrase "the hearing of the proceedings began" refers to time of first arraignment not commencement of the trial —Value of certainty in the law — Where parties and trial judge were under shared misapprehension as to directions applying — Where directions not challenged by counsel at trial where it was open to do so even on assumption provisions applied — No miscarriage of justice caused by directions CRIMINAL PROCEDURE — Trial — Directions to jury — State of mind requirements in sexual offences — Whether directions regarding inadvertent recklessness were correct — Distinction between advertent and inadvertent recklessness — No miscarriage of justice caused by directions Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes Amendment (Consent-Sexual Assault Offences) Act 2007 (NSW) Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences) Act 2003 (NSW) Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Consent Reforms) Act 2021 (NSW). Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 2014 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Criminal Legislation Amendment (Child Sexual Abuse) Act 2018 (NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) Supreme Court (Criminal Appeal) Rules Cases Cited: ARS v R [2011] NSWCCA 266 Banditt v The Queen (2005) 224 CLR 262; [2005] HCA 80 Beattie v R [2021] NSWCCA 291 Bektasovski v R [2022] NSWCCA 246 Blackwell v R (2011) 81 NSWLR 119; [2011] NSWCCA 93 Castle v R (2016) 92 NSWLR 17; [2016] NSWCCA 148 Dansie v The Queen (2022) 96 ALJR 728; [2022] HCA 25 Director of Public Prosecutions Reference No 1 of 2019 (2021) 274 CLR 177; [2021] HCA 26 Fox v Percy (2003) 214 CLR 118; [2003] HCA 22 GBF v The Queen (2020) 271 CLR 537; [2020] HCA 40 GG v R (2010) 79 NSWLR 194; [2010] NSWCCA 230 Greenhalgh v R [2017] NSWCCA 94 Jackmain (a pseudonym) v R (2020) 102 NSWLR 847; [2020] NSWCCA 150 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63 MK v R; RB v R [2023] NSWCCA 180 Obeid v R (2017) 96 NSWLR 155; [2017] NSWCCA 221 Pell v The Queen (2020) 268 CLR 123; [2020] HCA 12 Pollard v Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (1992) 28 NSWLR 659 R v Adamcik, Court of Criminal Appeal, 22 November 1996, unreported R v Coleman (1990) 19 NSWLR 467 R v Germakian (2007) 70 NSWLR 467; [2007] NSWCCA 373 R v Hemsley (1988) 36 A Crim R 334 R v Henning (Court of Criminal Appeal, 11 May 1990, unreported) R v Kitchener (1993) 29 NSWLR 696 R v Staines (1974) 60 Cr App R 160 R v Tolmie (1995) 37 NSWLR 660 R v Zekry Bishara [2022] NSWDC 291 Roberts v R [2023] NSWCCA 187 Stephens v The Queen (2022) 273 CLR 365; [2022] HCA 31 Z (a pseudonym) v R [2022] NSWCCA 8 Texts Cited: Hansard, Legislative Assembly, 20 October 2021 New South Wales Law Reform Commission, Consent In Relation to Sexual Offences (September 2020). Category: Principal judgment Parties: Jim Lee (Applicant)