Diallo & Ors (No 15) [2024] NSWSC 1114

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Diallo & Ors (No 15) [2024] NSWSC 1114 Hearing dates: 29-30 August 2024 Date of orders: 30 August 2024 Decision date: 30 August 2024 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Hamill J Decision: The tender of an extract of the Macquarie Dictionary to prove a colloquial meaning of the verb "to smoke" is rejected. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – evidence – admissibility of portion of Macquarie Dictionary – where evidence of listening device admitted over objection – where one accused threatens "to smoke" the other if he speaks to police – where Prosecutor seeks to rely on dictionary to prove meaning – where trial riddled with idiosyncratic idioms – probative value of evidence wafer-thin – potential for prejudice significant – evidence rejected Legislation Cited: Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 144, 144(2) Cases Cited: Phelps v Nationwide News Pty Ltd & Anor [2003] NSWSC 1104 R v Diallo & Ors (No 5) [2024] NSWSC 914 R v Diallo & Ors (No 14) [2024] NSWSC 1101 The Queen v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 Texts Cited: Macquarie Dictionary (online edition) Category: Procedural rulings Parties: Rex (Prosecution) Ibrahima Diallo (Defendant) AG (Defendant) AD (Defendant) Panashe Morgan Ryan Karise (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: E Balodis (Rex) R Wilson SC (Diallo) M Avenell SC (AG) B Robinson (AD) M Smith (Karise)