Regina v Denis BRITTAIN

Case [1999] NSWCCA 450


CITATION: Regina v Denis BRITTAIN [1999] NSWCCA 450
FILE NUMBER(S): CCA 60407/93
HEARING DATE(S): 1December 1999
JUDGMENT DATE:
1 December 1999

PARTIES :


Regina
Denis BRITTAIN - Applicant
JUDGMENT OF: Wood CJ at CL at 1; Sully J at 1; Simpson J at 1
LOWER COURT JURISDICTION: District Court
LOWER COURT FILE NUMBER(S) : 90/31/0749
LOWER COURT JUDICIAL OFFICER: Hosking DCJ
COUNSEL: P Berman - Crown
T Game SC with R Burgess - Applicant
SOLICITORS: S E O'Connor - Crown
T A Murphy - Applicant
CATCHWORDS:
DECISION: Appeal allowed. The conviction and sentence are quashed. The court will not order a new trial

      IN THE COURT OF
      CRIMINAL APPEAL
                          60407/93
      WOOD CJ at CL
      SULLY J
                          SIMPSON J

                      1 December 1999

      REGINA v Denis BRITTAIN
Judgment

      THE COURT :

1    I note that during the course of argument certain matters came to the attention of the Crown Prosecutor. Upon instructions it was conceded the appeal should be allowed. The conviction is quashed. As a matter of discretion it was also conceded that it would be appropriate for the Court to not order a new trial.

2    The order of the court is, therefore, that the appeal be allowed. The conviction and sentence are quashed. The Court will not order a new trial.

      **********
Details
AGLC
Regina v Denis BRITTAIN [1999] NSWCCA 450
Case
[1999] NSWCCA 450
Decision Date

CaseChat Overview and Summary

The case of Regina v Denis Brittain was heard by the Court of Criminal Appeal in New South Wales. The applicant, Denis Brittain, appealed against his conviction and sentence following his trial in the District Court. The Crown Prosecutor conceded during the course of the appeal hearing that the appeal should be allowed, and it was also agreed that a new trial should not be ordered.

The legal issues that arose for determination in this appeal pertained to the validity of the conviction and sentence imposed on the applicant. The Crown Prosecutor conceded that errors had occurred during the trial which warranted the quashing of the conviction and sentence. The central issue was whether these errors were significant enough to justify allowing the appeal and quashing the conviction and sentence without ordering a new trial.

The Court of Criminal Appeal, in allowing the appeal, found that the errors made during the trial were significant enough to warrant quashing the conviction and sentence. Given the concessions made by the Crown Prosecutor that a new trial should not be ordered, the Court exercised its discretion to quash the conviction and sentence without ordering a new trial. Consequently, the appeal was allowed, and the conviction and sentence were quashed. The Court did not deem it necessary to order a new trial.

The final order of the Court was that the appeal be allowed, the conviction and sentence be quashed, and no new trial be ordered. This outcome reflects the Court's consideration of the significant errors in the trial process and the agreement of both parties that a new trial was not warranted.

Orders

Orders of the court

Full text does not contain this section.

Background

Background to the litigation

Full text does not contain this section.

Evidence

Evidence Before The Court

Full text does not contain this section.

Decision

Reasons for decision

Full text does not contain this section.

Ratio Decidendi

Legal Principle Established

Full text does not contain this section.