Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Acevedo [2009] NSWSC 653

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions v Acevedo [2009] NSWSC 653

HEARING DATE(S) : 9 July 2009

JUDGMENT DATE : 16 July 2009

JURISDICTION : Common Law

JUDGMENT OF : Davies J

DECISION : (1) The appeal is allowed. (2) The orders of the Magistrate dismissing the information and ordering the Crown to pay the Defendant's costs are quashed. (3) The proceedings are remitted to the Local Court to be heard before a different Magistrate.

CATCHWORDS : CRIMIMAL LAW - practice and procedure - prosecutor's appeal from decision of magistrate to give herself a Prasad direction and dismiss information - whether matter appropriate for Prasad direction - whether error of law - finding of incorrect fault elements in analysis of offence - requiring proof of irrelevant matter - error as to standard of proof.

Crimes (Appeal and Review) Act 2001 LEGISLATION CITED : Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) Criminal Procedure Act 1986

Attorney General (NSW) v X (2000) 49 NSWLR 653 CDPP v Bozana Fabri [2008] NSWSC 655 Crowther v Sala [2007] QCA Dean v R (1995) 65 SASR 234 Doney v R [1990] 171 CLR 207 CASES CITED : DPP v Adam Jones Lee [2006] NSWSC 270 DPP (Cth) v Parham Neamati [2007] NSWSC 746 Misfud v Campbell (1991) 21 NSWLR 725 R v Pahuja (1988) 49 SASR 191 R v Prasad (1979) 23 SASR 161 Soulemezis v Dudley (Holdings) Pty Ltd (1987) 10 NSWLR 247

TEXTS CITED : Stephen Odgers, (2007) Principles of Federal Criminal Law, Lawbook Co.