Evidence law in Queensland

841 Pages·2016·2.966 MB·English

by  J. R. S Forbes

Evidence Law in
Queensland
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Evidence Law in
Queensland
J R S FORBES
BA, LLM (Hons) (Syd), LLM, PhD (Qld)
Barrister-at-Law (New South Wales and Queensland)
Sometime Reader in Law, University of Queensland
ELEVENTH EDITION
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PREFACE
This work was first published in 1986, a decade before the Commonwealth’s
Evidence Act 1995 appeared. Marital privilege still applied in Queensland, DNA
evidence was unknown, corporations might claim privilege against self-
incrimination, and the prosecution’s duty of pre-trial disclosure lacked the force
of s 590AB of the Criminal Code.
Legislative modification of the Evidence Act since our 2014 edition has been
mainly technical and minor. However, the Criminal Law (Domestic Violence)
Amendment Act 2015 added to the class of “special witnesses” (as defined in
s21A)allegedvictimsofdomesticviolence,whentheytestifyagainstthealleged
offender. Consequently such witnesses may be relieved from giving evidence in
theusualway,byoneormoreofseveralspecialorders.Theseinclude:obscuring
the accused from the witness in court, excluding the accused or other persons
from the courtroom while the witness testifies, allowing the evidence to be given
in a separate room, or videotaping it for presentation at a later time.
Nevertheless,asthistextemphasises–in[A.9],[A.39],and[10.1]–theActisby
nomeansacode,andthelawofevidenceinQueenslandremains,inlargepart,a
common law subject. Recent developments are mainly judicial in character, and
that evolutionary process is embodied in numerous additional authorities and
comments in this edition.
Not all the evolution is inconspicuous. The admissibility of admissions and
confessions obtained by “under cover” police officers is considered in [130.56]ff,
[Q.58], [Q.62] and [Q.71]. The centrality of the question: “Was the accused
aware that he or she was addressing a ‘person in authority’?” was confirmed by
the High Court’s refusal, on 11 March 2016, of special leave to appeal in the
Daniel Morcombe case: R v Cowan; Ex parte Attorney-General (Qld) [2015]
QCA87.TheHighCourt’sresponsetotheCrown’schallengetoRvBaden-Clay
[2015] QCA265 is now awaited. It may determine whether a judicial creation of
themid-20thcentury(see[9D.3]),the“unsafeandunsatisfactory”verdictenables
a court of appeal to reduce a conviction of murder to manslaughter when the
accused simply denies responsibility for the death at the trial.
The“unsafeandunsatisfactory”mantraisnowaroutineresiduaryclauseinmany
criminal appeals. The proposed reopening of the “Bowraville murders” in New
South Wales promises to revise the law of double jeopardy, and may even
challenge the unrealities, not to say absurdities, of extreme applications of the
rule against similar facts.
Merilyn Shields, the able editor of every edition of this text since 2004 was, on
this occasion, available as a consultant only. However, in her stead, I have
©2016THOMSONREUTERS v
Preface
benefited from the considerable skill and care, first, of Belinda Drake, and then,
principally, of Nick Jewlachow. I am indebted to them both, and record my
sincere thanks.
Once again I acknowledge the encouragement and professional assistance of
Anne, my dear wife.
J R FORBES
Brisbane, 31 May 2016
vi EvidenceLawinQueensland
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface....................................................................................................... v
Table of Cases.......................................................................................... ix
Table of Statutes...................................................................................cxxv
History and Common Law Foundations................................................... 1
Evidence Act 1977–2016...................................................................... 168
Witnesses: Competence, Compellability, Cross-examination
and Protection................................................................................. 196
Taking Evidence Outside the Court: Evidence on
Commission and Kindred Procedures........................................... 344
Facilitating the Proof of Legislative and Official Documents............. 381
Proof of Certain Miscellaneous Documents......................................... 404
Proof of Interstate and Overseas Laws and Records and
Convictions in Civil Cases............................................................ 416
Documentary Hearsay........................................................................... 431
Machine Copies Treated as Originals................................................... 500
Simplifying Proof, Discretionary Exclusion of Admissible
Evidence, Sentencing, Similar Facts............................................. 518
Other Queensland Legislation............................................................... 569
Commonwealth Evidence Law............................................................. 625
Index....................................................................................................... 659
©2016THOMSONREUTERS vii

TABLE OF CASES
A
AvHayden(No2)(1984)156CLR532.............................................................. Q.2,Q.3
A(Minors),Re[1991]2FamLR(Eng)473............................................................. A.185
AChildvWesternAustralia(2005)153ACrimR406;[2005]WASCA
91............................................................................................................................. A.105
ADebtor,Re[1927]1Ch97.......................................................................................83.13
APetitionbyFritzVanBeelen,Re(1974)9SASR163............................................92.18
ASolicitorvCounciloftheLawSocietyofNewSouthWales(2004)216
CLR253..................................................................................................................Q.109
ASolicitor,Inre;ExpartetheProthonotary(1939)56WN(NSW)53........... A.113,3.7
AandA,IntheMarriageof[1985]FLC91-613....................................... 6.8,21A.3,Q.5
AandB,IntheMarriageof(1989)13FamLR798................................................ A.173
AandB,LegalPractitionersvDisciplinaryTribunal(2001)10TasR152;
[2001]TASSC55....................................................................................................A.173
A3vAustralianCrimeCommission[2006]FCA894............................................... A.160
ACCCvAustralianSafewayStoresPtyLtd(No3)[2002]ATPR41-901...............A.203
AHPrenticeLtd,Re[1930]QWN11................................................................... A.65,6.8
AJvTheQueen(2011)32VR614;[2011]VSCA215.............................................. Q.11
AMvGill[2015]NSWSC586.....................................................................................Q.12
AMvTheQueen(2006)164ACrimR558;[2006]NTCCA1............................... 21.18
AMvWesternAustralia(2008)188ACrimR457;[2008]WASCA196............... A.154
AMIAustraliaHoldingsPtyLtdvFairfaxMediaPublicationsPtyLtd
(2009)74NSWLR612;[2009]NSWSC863.......................................................A.159
AMPFinancialPlanningPtyLtdvCGUInsuranceLtd(2005)146FCR
447;13ANZInsuranceCases61-658;[2005]FCAFC185.................................A.219
ANZBankingGroupLtdvGriffiths(1988)49SASR385..........................................95.5
AT&TIstelLtdvTully(No1)[1993]AC45.......................................................... 10.21
AWALtdvDaniels(t/aDeloitteHaskins&Sells)(1992)7ACSR463..................A.198
AWALtdvDaniels(t/aDeloitteHaskinsandSells)(1992)9ACSR383.............. A.197,
A.198
AWBLtdvCole(2006)152FCR382;[2006]FCA571............................. A.163,A.187
AWBLtdvCole(No5)(2006)155FCR30;[2006]FCA1234....A.163,A.167,A.168,
A.175,A.176,A.181,A.182
AavelaidvDentalBoard(NSW)[1998]ACLRep190NSW5............................... A.211
AbalosvAustralianPostalCommission(1990)171CLR167;[1990]
HCA47....................................................................................................................... A.7
AbigroupLtdvAtkins(1997)42NSWLR623......................................................... A.176
AbrahamsonvTheQueen(1994)63SASR139....................................................... A.143
AbramvBankofNewZealand[1996]ATPR41–507;[1996]FCA1650....................8.6
AbrathvNorthEasternRailwayCo(1883)11QBD440......................................... A.102
AccidentInsuranceMutualHoldingsLtdvMcFadden(1993)31NSWLR
412.................................................................................................................10.20,10.22
AccomFinancePtyLtdvMarsPtyLtd(2007)13BPR24,729;[2007]
NSWSC726................................................................................................A.211,A.213
[Allreferencesaretoparagraphnumbers]
©2016THOMSONREUTERS ix
TableofCases
AccurateFinancialConsultantsPtyLtdvKokoBlackPtyLtd(2008)66
ACSR325;[2008]VSCA86.....................................................................A.219,A.220
AceInsuranceLtdvTrifunovski(2011)200FCR532;[2011]FCA1204.............. A.219
AckroydvMinisterforTourism(unreported,QldSupCt,DowsettJ,24
January1986).............................................................................................................84.5
ActionWasteCollectionsPtyLtd(Inliq),Re;CrawfordvO’Brien[1981]
VR691..................................................................................................................... 83.15
AdamvTheQueen(2001)207CLR96..................................................................... 101.5
AdamivTheQueen(1959)108CLR605...................................... 59.4,59.8,59.9,59.11
AdamopoulosvOlympicAirwaysSA(1991)25NSWLR75........................ 131A.1,Q.6
AdamsvCanon(1621)Ley68;73ER117................................................................. A.19
AdamsvLloyd(1858)3H&N351;157ER506...........................................10.19,14.3
AdamsonvQueenslandLawSocietyInc[1990]1QdR498................A.113,3.7,10.12
AdelMuhammedelDabbahvAttorney-GeneralforPalestine[1944]AC
156..............................................................................................................................6.14
AdelaideChemicalandFertiliserCoLtdvCarlyle(1940)64CLR514................. A.145
AdelaideSteamshipPtyLtdvSpalvins(1998)81FCR360....................................... F.58
AdlervAustralianSecuritiesandInvestmentsCommission(2003)(2003)
179FLR1;46ACSR504........................................................................................A.70
AdlervGardiner(2002)43ACSR24.......................................................................... Q.12
AdministrationofPapuaandNewGuineavDaeraGuba(1973)130CLR
353............................................................................................................... A.211,A.213
AdministratorofEstateofHaroldBeaver(Dec)vMacgregor[2001]
WASC222................................................................................................................. 74.6
AdsteamBuildingIndustriesPtyLtdvQueenslandCementandLimeCo
Ltd(No4)[1985]1QdR127....................................... A.67,10.11,10.16,68.4,68.5
AdsteamBuildingIndustriesPtyLtdvQueenslandCementandLimeCo
Ltd[1984]2QdR1...............................................................................................A.159
AdsteamBuildingIndustriesPtyLtdvQueenslandCementandLime
CompanyLtd(No2)[1984]2QdR366.................................................................. 2.2
AdvertiserNewspapersvV(2000)117ACrimR141................................................. Q.3
Aeberhard,Re[1952]QWN42..................................................................................... 61.3
AegisBlaze,The[1986]1Lloyd’sRep203.............................................................. A.195
AgarvHyde(2000)201CLR552............................................................................. A.114
AhernvTheQueen(1988)165CLR87.................................. A.106,A.143,101.2,Q.43
AhmedivAhmedi(1991)23NSWLR288.................................................................. A.58
AinsleyDunn&CoandImportedBrandsIncvStewart&SonofDundee
[1969]1Lloyd’sRep49.................................................................... 22.6,22.12,22.17
AinsworthvHanrahan(1991)25NSWLR155........................................................... Q.10
AirCanadavSecretaryofStateforTrade(No2)[1983]2AC394........................ A.159
AjodhavTheState[1981]3WLR1............................................................................Q.72
AkinsvAbigroupLtd(1998)43NSWLR539................................................. F.58,A.176
AkinsvNationalAustraliaBank(1994)34NSWLR155.............................................A.4
AkotPtyLtdvRathminesInvestmentsPtyLtd[1984]1QdR302.......................... A.56
Al-HashemivTheQueen(2004)208ALR491;145ACrimR186;
[2004]WASCA61............................................................................. A.78,A.79,A.138
AlShakarjivMulhern[2010]QDC476...............................A.62,3.18,49.1,65.1,101.2
AlbarranvCompaniesAuditorsandLiquidatorsDisciplinaryBoard
(2007)231CLR350............................................................................................... 10.12
AlbrightonvRoyalPrinceAlfredHospital[1980]2NSWLR542....... A.67,83.12,92.3,
92.15,93A.17,96.1,98.4,98.5
AlchinvCommissionerforRailways(1935)35SR(NSW)498...........17.15,18.2,19.6,
19.10,19.17,19.19,101.5
[Allreferencesaretoparagraphnumbers]
x EvidenceLawinQueensland