Johnston v R [2019] NSWCCA 108

Court of Criminal Appeal Supreme Court New South Wales Medium Neutral Citation: Johnston v R [2019] NSWCCA 108 Hearing dates: 3 October 2018 Decision date: 27 May 2019 Before: Simpson AJA at [1]; Johnson J at [100]; R A Hulme J at [101] Decision: 1. Leave granted to the appellant to raise Ground 2 of the appeal;

2. Appeal against conviction dismissed. Catchwords: CRIME — public justice offences — do an act with intent to pervert course of justice — Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) s 319 — elements of offence — whether act or omission said to constitute the offence must have a tendency to pervert the course of justice Legislation Cited: Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) Crimes (Public Justice) Amendment Act 1990 (NSW) Criminal Appeal Act 1912 (NSW) Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) Cases Cited: Alcan (NT) Alumina Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Territory Revenue (Northern Territory) (2009) 239 CLR 27; [2009] HCA 41 Beckett v R (2014) 315 ALR 295; [2014] NSWCCA 305 Commissioner of Taxation of the Commonwealth of Australia v Consolidated Media Holdings Ltd (2012) 250 CLR 503; [2012] HCA 55 Cunneen v Independent Commission Against Corruption [2014] NSWCA 421 M v The Queen (1994) 181 CLR 487; [1994] HCA 63 Meissner v The Queen (1995) 184 CLR 132; [1995] HCA 41 MFA v The Queen (2002) 213 CLR 606; [2002] HCA 53 Murphy v The Queen (1985) 158 CLR 596; [1985] HCA 50 R v Charles (Court of Criminal Appeal (NSW), 23 March 1998, unrep) R v Constantin Karageorge (1998) 103 A Crim R 157 R v Einfeld (2008) 71 NSWLR 31; [2008] NSWCCA 215 R v Machin [1980] 1 WLR 763 R v Murphy (1985) 4 NSWLR 42 R v Murray [1982] 2 All ER 225 R v Rogerson, Nowytarger and Paltos (1991) 51 A Crim R 359 R v Selvage [1982] QB 372 SKA v The Queen (2011) 243 CLR 400; [2011] HCA 13 The Queen v Baden-Clay (2016) 258 CLR 308; [2016] HCA 35 The Queen v Beckett (2015) 256 CLR 305; [2015] HCA 38 The Queen v Rogerson (1992) 174 CLR 268; [1992] HCA 25 The Queen v Vreones [1891] 1 QB 360 Texts Cited: New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 17 May 1990 Peter Gillies, Criminal Law (3rd ed, 1993, Law Book Co) Category: Principal judgment Parties: Sarah Louise Johnston (Appellant) Regina (Respondent) Representation: Counsel: H K Dhanji SC/D Randle (Appellant) B K Baker (Respondent)