BC v R [2015] NSWCCA 327

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: BC v R [2015] NSWCCA 327 Hearing dates: 12 August 2015 Decision date: 18 December 2015 Before: Simpson JA at [1]; Adams J at [2]; Beech-Jones J at [72]. Decision: 1. Leave to appeal granted. 2. Appeal dismissed. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – appeal – application under s 5F of the Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) – separate trials – admission of tendency evidence – offences committed between ages 11 and 28 years old – whether evidence of charges admissible as tendency evidence – whether charges should be tried separately

CRIMINAL LAW – appeal – application under s 5F of the Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) – tendency evidence – complainants are sisters – possibility of concoction – relevance of concoction in assessing probative value under s 101(2) of the Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) – whether probative value of evidence outweighed by prejudicial effect Legislation Cited: Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5F Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), s 306B Evidence Act 1995 (NSW), ss 55, 97, 101, 135 Cases Cited: AE v R [2008] NSWCCA 52 B v R [1992] HCA 68; 175 CLR 599; 63 A Crim R 225 BJS v R (No 1) [2011] NSWCCA 239 BJS v R (No 2) [2013] NSWCCA 123 BP v R; R v BP [2010] NSWCCA 303 DAO v R [2011] NSWCCA 63; 278 ALR 765 DJW v R [2015] NSWCCA 164 DSJ v R; NS v R [2012] NSWCCA 9; 84 NSWLR 758; 215 A Crim R 349 DSJ v R; NS v R [2014] NSWCCA 77 Elomar v R; Hasan v R; Cheikho v R; Cheikho v R; Jamal v R [2014] NSWCCA 303; 316 ALR 206 FB v R; R v FB [2011] NSWCCA 217 Festa v R [2001] HCA 72; 208 CLR 593; 185 ALR 394 Harris v Director of Public Prosecutions [1952] AC 694 Markby v R (1978) 140 CLR 108 Hoch v The Queen [1988] HCA 50; 165 CLR 292 House v R [1936] HCA 40; 55 CLR 499 JG v R [2014] NSWCCA 138 Jones v R [2014] NSWCCA 280 Leonard v The Queen [2006] NSWCCA 267; 164 A Crim R 374 McIntosh v R [2015] NSWCCA 184 Pfennig v R (1995) 182 CLR 461 at 482-3; 77 A Crim R 149 R v Dupas (No 3) [2009] VSCA 202; 26 VR 380 R v Ellis [2003] NSWCCA 319; 58 NSWLR 700; 144 A Crim R 1 R v Fletcher [2005] NSWCCA 338; 156 A Crim R 308 R v PWD [2010] NSWCCA 209; (2010) 205 A Crim R 75 R v RN [2005] NSWCCA 413 R v Shamouil [2006] NSWCCA 112; 66 NSWLR 228 R v SK; SK v R [2011] NSWCCA 292 R v XY [2013] NSWCCA 121; 84 NSWLR 363 Sokolowskyj v R [2014] NSWCCA 55 Texts Cited: Professor J Hunter, "Jurors' Notions of Justice, An Empirical Study of Motivations to Investigate & Obedience to Judicial Directions", September 2013, UNSW Law School M Bagaric, "The community interest in bringing suspects to trial trumps the right to an impartial decision maker – at least in Victoria", (2010) 34(1) Criminal Law Journal 5 Category: Principal judgment Parties: BC (Applicant) Regina (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: J Stratton SC (Applicant) N Adams SC/ H Roberts (Respondent)