R v Hadler [2018] NSWSC 1151

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: R v Hadler [2018] NSWSC 1151 Hearing dates: 29 June 2018 Date of orders: 26 July 2018 Decision date: 26 July 2018 Before: Wilson J Decision: Order that the trial of the accused is to be heard before a judge alone, pursuant to s 132 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Catchwords: CRIMINAL LAW – accused charged with murder – application for trial by judge alone – application opposed by Crown – sole issue at trial question of the availability of a mental illness defence – whether a judge is better able to assess forensic psychiatric evidence than a jury - questions of efficiency of trial – drug use by accused - asserted prejudice to accused if tried by jury – potential for the accused to become unfit to be tried due to length and stress of jury trial Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) Jury Act 1977 (NSW) Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990 (NSW) Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 2010 (NSW) Cases Cited: AK v Western Australia [2008] HCA 8; (2008) 232 CLR 438 Gilbert v The Queen (2000) 201 CLR 414 Long v R (2002) 128 A Crim R 11 O'Hare v DPP [2000] NSWSC 430 R v Belghar (2012) 217 A Crim R 1; [2012] NSWCCA 86 R v Bell NSWCCA 8.10.1998 unreported R v Burrell [2004] NSWCCA 336 R v D'Arcy (2003) 140 A Crim R 303 R v Dudko (2002) 132 A Crim R 371 R v Fang (No 3) [2017] NSWSC 28 R v Jamal (2008) 72 NSWLR 258; (2008) 191 A Crim R 1 R v M'Naghten (1843) 10 Cl & Fin 200; 8 ER 718 R v Milat NSWCCA 26.2.1998 unreported R v Richards [1999] NSWCCA 114; (1999) 107 A Crim R 318 Radford v The Queen (1985) 42 SASR 266 Stapleton v The Queen [1952] HCA 56; 86 CLR 358 State of Western Australia v Rayney [2011] WASC 326 The King v Porter [1933] HCA 1; 55 CLR 182 The Queen v Falconer (1990) 171 CLR 30 Texts Cited: Lord Devlin, Trial by Jury (1966, revised edition) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Regina Michael Hadler Representation: Counsel: Mr S Hughes as Crown Prosecutor Ms S Beckett for the accused