R v Keli LANE [No 13] [2010] NSWSC 1540

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : R v Keli LANE [No 13] [2010] NSWSC 1540

HEARING DATE(S) : 09/08/2010 - 13/12/2010

JUDGMENT DATE : 3 November 2010

JUDGMENT OF : Whealy J

CATCHWORDS : EVIDENCE - admissibility - lies as consciousness of guilt - directions to jury - elements in R v Heyde - alleged lies central to Crown case - perpetuation of lies - requirement of evidence establishing lies - possible circularity when acceptance of lies as consciousness of guilt taken as admission of guilt - danger that evidence demonstrating consciousness of guilt establishes guilt of accused - conduct pointing to guilty mind - unfair prejudice - limitation of evidence - perpetuation of a lie not available as separate evidence of guilt - right to silence - Crown not entitled to reverse onus of proof - directions to exclude or limit its use - need for restraint in presentation of Crown case.

LEGISLATION CITED : Evidence Act 1995 s 137

CATEGORY : Procedural and other rulings

R v Cook [2004] NSWCCA 52 Quinlan v R (2006) 164 A Crim R 106 Edwards v R (1993) 178 CLR 193 R v Zheng (1995) 83 A Crim R 572 R v ST (1997) 92 A Crim R 390 at 394 Mercer v R (1993) 67 A Crim R 91 at 98 R v Middleton [2001] Crim LR 251 R v Harron [1996] Crim LR 581 at 583 CASES CITED : R v Laz (1998) 1 VR 453; R v Russo [2004] VSCA 206 R v Sirillas [2006] VSCA 234 R v Heyde (1990) 20 NSWLR 234 Zoneff v R (2000) 200 CLR 234 R v Lodhi [2006] NSWSC 672 R v Sutton (1986) 5 NSWLR 697 at 701 R v Ray (2003) 57 NSWLR 616 at 632 R v Singh-Bal (1997) 92 A Crim R 397 Macpherson v R (1981) 147 CLR 512