OKS v Western Australia

Criminal practice – Appeal against conviction – Application of proviso that no substantial miscarriage of justice actually occurred – Criminal Appeals Act 2004 (WA), s 30(4) – Where jury found appellant guilty of indecently dealing with child under 13 years of age – Where credibility and reliability of complainant's evidence central issue at trial – Where complainant admitted and was alleged to having lied – Where trial judge directed jury not to reason that complainant's lies meant that all her evidence dishonest and could not be relied upon – Where Court of Appeal found direction by trial judge was wrong decision on question of law – Where Court of Appeal found no substantial miscarriage of justice occurred – Whether error in application of proviso.

Words and phrases – "misdirection", "natural limitations of proceeding on the record", "no effect upon the jury's verdict", "proviso", "substantial miscarriage of justice", "sufficiency of evidence to prove guilt", "very significant weight", "weight to the verdict of guilty", "wrong decision on a question of law".

Criminal Appeals Act 2004 (WA) – s 30(4).