R v Blackett [2018] NSWCCA 114

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: R v Blackett [2018] NSWCCA 114 Hearing dates: 18, 30 May 2018 Date of orders: 07 June 2018 Decision date: 07 June 2018 Before: Leeming JA at [1]; Button J at [57]; Fagan J at [58] Decision: 1. Appeal allowed. 2. Set aside the stay ordered by the District Court on 1 March 2018. 3. Remit the proceedings to the District Court for determination in accordance with law. Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – procedure – permanent stay – stay granted by court below on basis of weakness of Crown case – whether primary judge had applied correct test – whether "incurable weakness" in Crown case such that prosecution was "foredoomed to fail" – consideration of exceptional nature of jurisdiction – appeal allowed, stay discharged and matter remitted to District Court for trial Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), ss 61A, 61E, 66C, 78 Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences) Act 2003 (NSW), Schedule 1 item 9 Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW), s 5F Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW), ss 141, 142 Cases Cited: Agius v The Queen; Abibadra v The Queen; Jandagi v The Queen; Zerafa v The Queen (2011) 80 NSWLR 486; [2011] NSWCCA 119 Barton v The Queen (1980) 147 CLR 75; [1980] HCA 48 Director of Public Prosecutions (SA) v B (1998) 194 CLR 566; [1998] HCA 45 Kennedy v R [2017] NSWCCA 193 Little (a pseudonym) v R (2015) 44 VR 816; [2015] VSCA 62 Magaming v The Queen (2013) 252 CLR 381; [2013] HCA 40 R v Crawley [2014] EWCA Crim 1028 R v Edwards [2009] HCA 20; 83 ALJR 717 R v Jasper [2003] NSWCCA 186; 139 A Crim R 329 R v McGee (2008) 102 SASR 318; [2008] SASC 328 R v Moore (2015) 91 NSWLR 276; [2015] NSWCCA 316 R v Smith [1995] 1 VR 10 Saraswati v The Queen (1991) 172 CLR 1; [1991] HCA 21 TS v R [2014] NSWCCA 174 Walton v Gardiner (1993) 177 CLR 378; [1993] HCA 77 Texts Cited: A Choo, Abuse of Process and Judicial Stays of Criminal Proceedings (2nd ed, 2008, Clarendon Press) D Ormerod and D Perry (eds), Blackstone's Criminal Practice 2017 (Oxford University Press) C Corns, "Judicial Termination of Defective Criminal Prosecutions: Stay Applications" (1997) 16 University of Tasmania Law Review 75 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Regina (Appellant) Brent Blackett (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: B Baker (Crown) S Hall (18 May), S Goodwin (30 May) (Respondent)