Criminal law – Appeal - Jury misdirection - Application of proviso - Appellants in joint trial each convicted of multiple drug-related offences under Criminal Code (Cth) ("Code"), including two counts of importing commercial quantity of border controlled drugs into Australia contrary to s 307.1 of Code ("importation offences") - Trial conducted on mistaken assumption that guilt of importation offences could be established by proof that appellants parties to joint criminal enterprise - Whether prosecution upon basis not known to law denied application of proviso under s 668E(1A) of Criminal Code (Q) - Whether directions to jury on "group exercise" distracted from real issues in trial of each count in indictment.
Words and phrases – "aids, abets, counsels or procures", "joint criminal enterprise", "proper conduct of trial", "proviso".
Criminal Code (Cth) – Ch 2, ss 11.2, 307.1.
Criminal Code (Q) – s 668E(1A).
Judgment date
Case number
B26/2011
B27/2011
Before
French CJ, Gummow, Hayne, Heydon, Crennan, Kiefel, Bell JJ
Catchwords