Recent Cases

De Silva v The Queen [2019] HCA 48 (13 December 2019) (Kiefel CJ, Bell, Gageler, Nettle and Gordon JJ)


Catchwords:


Criminal practice – Trial – Directions to jury – Liberato v The Queen (1985) 159 CLR 507 (“Liberato”) – Where appellant convicted by jury of rape – Where appellant did not give sworn evidence at trial – Where appellant made exculpatory statements in recorded police interview – Where record of interview admitted into evidence – Where appellant did not seek Liberato direction at trial – Where trial judge did not give Liberato direction – Whether Liberato direction required where accused does not give sworn evidence – Whether Liberato direction required where record of interview containing exculpatory statements admitted into evidence.

Words and phrases – “beyond reasonable doubt”, “choice between witnesses”, “conflicting version of events”, “criminal standard”, “evidence on oath”, “exculpatory answers”, “interview with the police”, “jury directions”, “Liberato direction”, “onus and standard of proof”, “out-of-court statement”, “recorded interview”, “summing-up as a whole”, “sworn evidence”, “who do you believe”, “word-on-word”.