REGINA v CHAMI, M SKAF, GHANEM, B SKAF [2004] NSWCCA 36

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION : REGINA v CHAMI, M SKAF, GHANEM, B SKAF [2004] NSWCCA 36 revised - 29/04/2004 HEARING DATE(S) : 20, 21 and 22 October 2003 JUDGMENT DATE : 7 April 2004

JUDGMENT OF : Mason P at 1; Wood CJ at CL at 1; Sully J at 1 DECISION : Mahmoud Chami: Appeal dismissed; Bilal Skaf: Appeal dismissed; Mohammed Skaf: Appeal dismissed; Mohamed Ghanem: Appeal allowed - new trial ordered

CATCHWORDS : Criminal law - sexual offences - refusal to order separate trial - late disclosure of witness statement of co-offender - identification issues - directions as to consciousness of guilt - prosecutor's comment on accused's failure to give evidence - directions on standard of proof - "beyond reasonable doubt" should not be enlarged upon - complainant's reliability - directions about lies - whether verdicts unreasonable. - (D) LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act, ss 20(2), 44, 135, 137 Bataillard v The King (1907) 4 CLR 1282 Blick (2000) 111 A Crim R 326 Dhanhoa v The Queen (2003) 77 ALJR 1433, [2003] HCA 40 Edwards v The Queen (1993) 178 CLR 193 Green v The Queen (1971) 126 CLR 28 Kawicki (1995) 82 A Crim R 191 Peterson v The Queen (1979) 41 FLR 205 Pitkin v The Queen (1995) 69 ALJR 612 Queen's Case (1820) 2 Brod & Bing 284, 129 ER 976 R v Blanch, CCA unreported 17 August 1988 R v Burt [2003] NSWCCA 248 R v Ho (2002) 130 A Crim R 545 CASES CITED : R v K (1991) 161 LSJS 135 R v Lewis-Hamilton (1997) 92 A Crim R 532 R v Li [2003] NSWCCA 386 R v Lucas [1981] QB 720 R v Markuleski (2001) 52 NSWLR 82 R v Murray (1987) 11 NSWLR 12 R v Reeves (1992) 29 NSWLR 109 R v Solomon, CCA unreported 15 November 1989 R v Southammavong [2003] NSWCCA 312 R v Sutton (1986) 5 NSWLR 697 Thomas v The Queen (1960) 102 CLR 581 Verma (1987) 30 A Crim R 441 Zoneff v The Queen (2000) 200 CLR 234 REGINA Mahmoud CHAMI PARTIES : Mohammed SKAF Mohamed GHANEM Bilal SKAF FILE NUMBER(S) : CCA 60314/03; 60323/03; 60181/03; 60402/03 Crown: D Frearson/ D Arnott Appellant: (M Chami) P Byrne SC COUNSEL : Appellant: (M Skaf) S Odgers SC/ H Dhanji Appellant: (M Ghanem) T A Game SC/ M Buscombe Appellant: (B Skaf) P Zahra SC Crown: S Kavanagh (Director of Public Prosecutions) Appellant: (M Chami) Andrews SOLICITORS : Appellant: (M Skaf) W H O'Brien Appellant: (M Ghanem) Murphys Lawyers Appellant: (B Skaf) Galloways