SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA RECENT JUDGMENTS BULLETIN ISSUE NO. 5/2015 Below is a list of Victorian Supreme Court unreported judgments received in the Library from 23 March to 2 April 2015. Catchwords are included when provided on the cover sheet of the unreported judgment. Hypertext links to AustLII are inserted at the time of producing of this page. However, there may be a two week delay before the unreported judgment is actually loaded onto AustLII. Enquires regarding unreported judgments can be forwarded to the Supreme Court Library at: sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au or telephone (03) 9603 6282. TABLE OF CONTENTS COURT OF APPEAL ................................................................................................ 1 COMMERCIAL COURT .......................................................................................... 5 COMMERCIAL & EQUITY DIVISION .................................................................. 7 COMMON LAW DIVISION .................................................................................... 7 CRIMINAL DIVISION ........................................................................................... 10 COURT OF APPEAL CONTRACT - Whether parties had concluded a settlement agreement to settle disputes arising in the course of a joint venture - Absence of credibility findings on important factual questions - Matter remitted for new hearing. COURTS - Whether reasons for finding that there had been no settlement agreement were adequate - Competing witness statements, documentary evidence and primary arguments not referred to by trial judge - Appeal allowed. FIDUCIARY DUTIES - Joint venture - Whether appellant owed a fiduciary duty to respondent - Matter raised for the first time on appeal - Absence of evidence - Notice of contention dismissed Assad, Sinot Samy v Eliana Construction & Developing Group P/L Redlich JA, Kyrou JA, and McLeish JA [2015] VSCA 53 01/04/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 1 - CONTRACT LAW - Commission for sale of business - Absence of clear offer and acceptance - Whether acceptance of offer could be inferred from the circumstances Empirnall Holdings Pty Ltd v Machon Paull Partners Pty Ltd (1988) 14 NSWLR 523, PRA Electrical v Perseverance Corporation Pty Ltd (2007) 20 VR 487 and Vroon v Foster’s Brewing Group Ltd [1994] 2 VR 32 applied - Trial judge correctly found offer was accepted - Appeal dismissed. CONTRACT LAW - Commission for sale of business - Variation of original agreement - Whether term as to amount of commission implied into varied agreement - Hawkins v Clayton (1988) 164 CLR 539 and Codelfa Construction Pty Ltd v State Rail Authority of New South Wales (1982) 149 CLR 337 applied - Commercial setting important - Trial judge correct in implying term - Appeal dismissed. STATUTORY INTERPRETATION - Estate Agents Act 1980 - Whether respondents required to comply with requirements of Act - Meaning of 'estate agent' under s4 discussed - Mercer v Dalley [1934] VLR 14 and Garbett v Rosemen Investments Pty Ltd [2002] VSC 575 discussed and applied - Act directed at 'ongoing business' and not 'one off' transactions - Trial judge correctly found s 50 did not apply as a bar to contract law action - Appeal dismissed P'Auer AG & Anor v Polybuild Technologies International P/L & Anor Whelan JA, Ferguson JA, and Kaye JA [2015] VSCA 42 19/03/2015 CRIMINAL LAW - Appeal - Conviction - Refusal of permanent stay - Fair trial Trial of alleged sexual offences - Delay - Alleged offending occurred up to 48 years ago - Child complainant - Whether trial unacceptably unfair - Whether substantial miscarriage of justice. CRIMINAL LAW - Appeal - Leave to cross-examine complainant about prior sexual activities refused - Whether refusal of leave proper - No error in refusing leave Criminal Procedure Act 2008, s342. CRIMINAL LAW - Appeal - Conviction - Tendency - Severance - Whether evidence of complainants cross-admissible - Whether indictment should have been severed Some of the evidence not cross-admissible. CRIMINAL LAW - Appeal - Conviction - Overloaded indictment - 37 charges Dozens of uncharged acts - Whether substantial miscarriage of justice. CRIMINAL LAW - Appeal - Sentence - Plea of guilty to two charges of indecent assault - Appellant 69 years old with no prior convictions - Teenaged complainant Whether sentences of 10 months' imprisonment on each charge manifestly excessive Appeal allowed - Total effective sentence of 8 months' imprisonment substituted Bauer, Dennis (a pseudonym) v The Queen Maxwell P, Weinberg JA, and Priest JA [2015] VSCA 55 01/04/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 2 - CRIMINAL LAW - Conviction - Aggravated burglary - Applicant's stepfather lessee of residential premises - Applicant's half-sister and her partner also resided in house Stepfather gave qualified approval to applicant to visit him at residence except when 'drunk' - Half-sister and partner purported to ban applicant from entering premises Whether applicant could be found, in those circumstances, to have entered as a trespasser - Half-sister and partner not in exclusive possession of house and lacked authority to revoke right of entry granted by stepfather - Alternative basis upon which prosecution could be mounted - Dependent upon inference as to limited nature of stepfather's permission - Conviction quashed and new trial, confined to alternative case, ordered Marks-Vincenti, Tony v The Queen Maxwell P, Weinberg JA, and Beach JA [2015] VSCA 54 1st Revision: 2 April 2015 para [42] 01/04/2015 CRIMINAL LAW - Conviction - Conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled precursor - Nature of conspiracy - Inference - Whether evidence capable of establishing subject-matter of conspiracy was border controlled precursor Whether evidence capable of establishing an intention to use in manufacture Conviction not unsafe and unsatisfactory - Leave to appeal refused. CRIMINAL LAW - Sentence - Conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled precursor - Sentence of 11 years' imprisonment with non-parole period of 9 years' imprisonment manifestly excessive - Parity - Whether sentence disparate from that of co-offender - Sentence not manifestly excessive - Disparity in non-parole period - Leave to appeal granted - Appeal allowed - Sentence of 11 years' imprisonment with non-parole period of 8 years substituted Suri, Anil v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) Redlich JA, Priest JA, and Coghlan JA [2014] VSCA 260 24/10/2014 CRIMINAL LAW - Conviction - Conspiracy to possess 4.4 tonnes or more than 15 million tablets containing MDMA (ecstasy) imported from Europe in 2007 but seized before the conspirators could take possession of them - Wholesale value of tablets about $122 million - Applicant's role to facilitate removal of container within which drugs concealed from docks - Interception by AFP of telephone conversation between co-conspirator and third party - Conversation not in furtherance of conspiracy and accordingly not admissible against applicant - Applicant sought to rely upon isolated passages in intercepted communication as supposedly exculpatory - Issue as to whether statements made were in fact exculpatory - Ruling by trial judge that evidence hearsay and inadmissible - Whether trial judge erred - No error established. CRIMINAL LAW - Conviction - Trial judge permitted Crown to adduce evidence concerning applicant's daily participation in legal proceedings throughout major part of the alleged conspiracy period - Whether evidence should have been excluded under s137 of Evidence Act 2008 - Probative value of evidence not outweighed by any unfair prejudice to applicant. CRIMINAL LAW - Conviction - Whether misdirection as to elements of conspiracy No error established Karam, Rob v The Queen Weinberg JA, Priest JA, and Beach JA [2015] VSCA 50 31/03/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 3 - CRIMINAL LAW - Drink driving - Breathalyser indicates alcohol present beyond 0.05% - Proof by certificate - Conclusive evidence unless defendant gives notice Effect of notice when given - Certificate remains evidence of its contents - Certificate as evidence only of its contents - No evidence - No error of law where finder of fact prefers some evidence rather than other evidence - Road Safety Act 1986 s49(1)(f), s58(2) and s(2D) - Furze v Nixon (2000) 2 VR 503; Impagnatiello v Campbell (2003) 6 VR 416 O'Connor, John James v Bradshaw, Susan and The County Court of Victoria Santamaria JA, Kyrou JA, and Ferguson JA [2015] VSCA 39 17/03/2015 CRIMINAL LAW - Sentence - Appeal - Making a false Commonwealth document and Falsely representing that person is a Commonwealth official - Total effective sentence of two years' imprisonment with minimum term of 10 months - Sentence manifestly excessive - Appeal allowed Alam, Kh Faisal v The Queen Priest JA and Beach JA [2015] VSCA 48 24/03/2015 CRIMINAL LAW - Sentence - Appeal - Mental disorder - Application of R v Verdins (2007) 16 VR 269 - Sentencing judge rejected evidence of neuropsychologist as to mental disorder and intellectual disability - Whether judge misapprehended the evidence - Whether rejection against the evidence - Appeal allowed Booth, John v The Queen Ashley JA and Priest JA [2015] VSCA 51 31/03/2015 CRIMINAL LAW - Sentence - Crown appeal - Trafficking a marketable quantity of a controlled drug (methamphetamine) - Whether sentence of 42 months' imprisonment with release on recognisance after serving 14 months manifestly inadequate Sentence manifestly inadequate - Respondent re-sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment with non-parole period of 4 years Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Merrill, Evan Maxwell JA, Weinberg JA, and Beach JA [2015] VSCA 52 01/04/2015 CRIMINAL LAW - Sentence - Indecent act with a child under 16 - Delay - Sentence of 20 months' imprisonment with a non-parole period of 12 months - Sentence manifestly excessive - Appeal allowed - Community correction order substituted Cole, Dylan Elton (a Pseudonym) v The Queen Ashley JA and Priest JA [2015] VSCA 44 20/03/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 4 - PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - Leave to appeal - 'Real prospect of success' test for leave to appeal in civil matters - Court may only grant leave where appeal has a 'real' as opposed to 'fanciful' chance of success - Residual discretion to refuse leave, despite the appeal having real prospect of success - Lysaght Building Solutions Pty Ltd v Blanalko Pty Ltd [2013] VSCA 158 considered, Tanfern Ltd v CameronMacDonald [2000] 2 All ER 801 followed, Supreme Court Act 1986 (Vic) s14A and s14C Kennedy, Irene Susan v Shire of Campaspe Whelan JA and Ferguson JA [2015] VSCA 47 23/03/2015 REAL PROPERTY - Entitlement to indemnity - Transfer of Land Act 1958, s110 Property jointly owned by husband and wife - Husband signed transfer of land document pursuant to power of attorney - Whether power of attorney forged Whether wife held interest in the land and so sustained loss or damage - Issues remitted for new trial. APPEALS - New trial - Erroneous findings of fact - Whether Court to decide matter for itself or remit for new trial - Credit issues central to case - Trial judge had advantage of seeing witnesses in witness box and seeing trial develop - New trial ordered Jarrold, Clare Margaret v The Register of Titles and Jarrold, Telvin Osborn JA, Whelan JA, and Ginnane AJA [2015] VSCA 45 24/03/2015 SECURITY FOR COSTS - Application for further security - Delay. COSTS - Unjustified failure to suggest alternative amount until hearing Carbon Black Lab P/L (ACN 140 192 730) v Launer, Darryl Whelan JA and Ferguson JA [2015] VSCA 46 23/03/2015 COMMERCIAL COURT BANKING - Guarantees - Code of banking practice - Whether complied with Enforceability of guarantees - Breach of warranty - Set off - Duty of bank to guarantor - Co-directors of borrower - Co-guarantors - Knowledge of bank that co-guarantor may have insufficient assets and income to service loans - Unconscionability Banking Code, cl25.1, cl28.4(a), cl28.5(b), cl28.16. PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - Pleadings - Issues confined by manner in which defences pleaded National Australia Bank Ltd v Rice, Timothy Craig and Rose, John Albert Elliott J [2015] VSC 10 26/03/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 5 - BUILDING - Effect of determination of the Building Appeals Board - Demolition work proposed - Risk to adjoining owner and the public - Whether risk to public relevant in determining appropriate protection works - Appeal to Building Appeals Board from determination of relevant building surveyor - Building Act 1993 s84; s85; s87; s141(a); s149; s166; and Schedule 3 - Building Regulations 2006 regs 101; reg 602; reg 604 and reg 607 - Construction of determination of Building Appeals Board Uncertainty - Ancillary or incidental orders possible under s149(4) Building Act 1993 - Correction of errors possible under clause 18 of Schedule 3 Building Act 1993 CES-Queen (Vic) P/L v Thomas, Bryan and Kip, Stephen (Sitting as Building Appeals Board) and Colonial Range P/L Vickery J [2015] VSC 120 01/04/2015 PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - Application to set aside final orders by consent Whether inherent jurisdiction - Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2005, r66.14 - Permanent Trustee Co (Canberra) Ltd (Executor estate of Andrews) v Stocks & Holdings (Canberra) Pty Ltd (1976) 15 ACTR 45 - Lollis v Loulatzis (No 3) [2008] VSC 231. ARBITRATION - Whether final orders for recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral award may be set aside by consent - Grant of stay until further order International Arbitration Act 1974 (Cth) - New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, Article III Van Der Garde, Giedo BV and Van Der Garde, Giedo Gijsbertus Gerrit v Sauber Motorsport AG Croft J [2015] VSC 109 27/03/2015 PROBATE - Application to remove executors - Unfitness to act - Delay, lack of information, waste and conflict of interest - Executors removed - Administration and Probate Act 1958, s34(1)(c) - Monty Financial Services Ltd v Delmo [1995] 1 VR 65; Miller v Cameron (1936) 54 CLR 572; Dimos v Skaftouros (2004) 9 VR 584 applied. PROBATE - Whether executors improperly incurred costs - Whether executors should be deprived of usual indemnity from estate for their legal costs - No indemnity for improperly incurred costs or plaintiff's costs - Nolan v Collie (2003) 7 VR 287 applied Czapp, Victor v Cassar, Erica and Caldwell, Mark, in their capacity as Executors and Trustees of the Estate of Gregory Czapp deceased Hargrave J [2015] VSC 111 27/03/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 6 - COMMERCIAL & EQUITY DIVISION ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - Judicial review of determination of an appeal by the Building Appeals Board under the Building Act 1993 (Vic) - Whether the Board empowered to determine a collateral challenge to the appointment of the original decision maker - Director of Housing v Sudi (2011) 33 VR 559 considered Principles in Sudi applied, however legislative scheme distinguished - Board empowered under the Act to determine collateral issue - Legal effect of original decision maker when appointment as a private building surveyor under the Act invalid - Whether Board empowered to substitute its own decision. BUILDING - Scheme of the appeal provisions relating to the Building Appeals Board under the Building Act 1993 (Vic) considered - Judicial review of determination of an appeal by the Building Appeals Board under the Building Act 1993 (Vic) - Whether the Board empowered to determine a collateral challenge to the appointment of the original decision maker - Director of Housing v Sudi (2011) 33 VR 559 considered Principles in Sudi applied - Legislative scheme distinguished - Board empowered under the Act to determine collateral issue - Legal effect of original decision maker when appointment as a private building surveyor under the Act invalid - Whether Board empowered to substitute its own decision CES Queen P/L v Thomas, Bryan and Kip, Stephen (sitting as the Building Appeals Board) and Colonial Range P/L Vickery J [2014] VSC 602 1st revision: 25 March 2015 03/12/2014 COMMON LAW DIVISION ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - Application for leave to appeal from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal - Questions of law - Review of the Transport Accident Commission's decision to cease compensation payments - Was the Tribunal's decision open on the evidence before it - Procedural fairness - Christian Youth Camps Ltd v Cobaw Community Health Services Ltd [2014] VSCA 75 - Transport Accident Act 1986 s35 and s74 - Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1997 s148 Appeal dismissed Aquilina, Victor v Transport Accident Commission Zammit J [2015] VSC 117 01/04/2015 ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - Habeas corpus - Plaintiff sentenced to death by Supreme Court of Western Australia - Commuted to life imprisonment - Transferred to Victoria under Prisoners (Interstate Transfer) Act 1985 - Released on parole by exercise of Victorian Governor of royal prerogative of mercy under s107(1) of Sentencing Act 1991 - Whether plaintiff subject to life sentence on transfer to Victoria - Whether parole order affected life sentence - Whether plaintiff still subject to life sentence Whether conditions of parole order effective - Whether Parole Board has power to impose further conditions on plaintiff - Prisoners (Interstate Transfer) Act 1983 s4, s27, s28 - Corrections Act 1986 s74 - Sentencing Act 1991 s107 Censori, Eris v Gillard, William Chairman Adult Parole Board and His Excellency The Honourable Chernov, Alex AC QC and Attorney-General for the State of Victoria (Intervening) Kaye JA [2015] VSC 106 30/03/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 7 - ADMINISTRATIVE LAW - Judicial review - Appeal from Magistrates' Court to County Court - Validity of charge - Amendment of charge-sheet - 'All proceedings connected with the hearing' - s8(2), s8(4) and s256 Criminal Procedure Act 2009 s49(1)(c) and s53(1) Road Safety Act 1986 Walters, Paul Francis v Magistrates' Court of Victoria and County Court of Victoria and Bourchier, Michael; Walters, Paul Francis v County Court of Victoria and Bourchier, Michael Zammit J [2015] VSC 88 24/03/2015 CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS - Political party - DLP - Intervention of Federal Executive in the affairs of the Victorian State Branch - Validity of Federal Conferences - Whether Victorian State Conference called by Federal Executive was a valid DLP conference - Dispute as to office bearers comprising the Federal Executive of DLP. DECLARATIONS - Principles - Failure to join a proper contradictor - Lack of utility or practical purpose of the declarations sought. PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - Summary Judgment and adjournment applications - r23.03 of the Supreme Court (General Civil Procedure) Rules 2005 (Vic) - s62 of the Civil Procedure Act 2010 (Vic) - Principles - Inadequate pleadings and evidence Weight to be given to previous findings by a tribunal of fact adverse to the claim Lack of proper contradictor and no practical purpose for declarations sought - No real prospect of success - Adjournment application refused and summary judgment application granted Mulholland, John v Funnell, Paul (No 2) Macaulay J [2015] VSC 108 25/03/2015 CONTEMPT OF COURT - Substituted service - Respondent did not appear at hearing - Case heard in respondent's absence - Facebook post and internet radio by respondent exhorting others to contact County Court judge and officials concerning current criminal proceedings in the court - Emails by respondent to judge and court Specific intention of respondent to intimidate court and dissuade court from conducting proceeding The Queen (On the Application of the Attorney-General of the State of Victoria) v Bonacci, Santo Kaye JA [2015] VSC 121 01/04/2015 CORONERS COURT - Appeal by Senior Next of Kin against Coroner's Determination to release body to domestic partner - Appeal dismissed - Coroners Act 2008 s85 and s87 - Coroner's Act 2008 s3 definitions of domestic partner and senior next of kin Lawrence, Stephen v Coroners Court of Victoria Digby J [2013] VSC 77 19/04/2013 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 8 - COURT OF DISPUTED RETURNS - Election petition - Abuse of process - Petition and statement of issues irrelevant or scandalous - Allegations in petition and statement of issues not proven - Petition not compliant with s135(1)(a) of the Electoral Act 2002 (Vic) - Petition dismissed Donohue, Gerard Joseph v Victorian Electoral Commission Garde J [2015] VSC 98 24/03/2015 COURT OF DISPUTED RETURNS - Extent of jurisdiction to declare an election void - Early voting - Application to vote early - Declaration that 'unable to vote' on election day - Compliance with s98(b) and s99(1) of the Electoral Act 2002 (Vic) ('the Act') - Meaning of the word 'unable' - Whether early votes were invalid - Whether failures affected the result of the State general election on 29 November 2014 Whether petition complies with s135(1)(a) of the Act - Petition dismissed Rigoni, Maria v Victorian Electoral Commission Garde J [2015] VSC 97 24/03/2015 JUDICIAL REVIEW - Criminal law - Indictable offence triable summarily Defendant does not consent to summary hearing - Defendant committed for trial in County Court at conclusion of committal hearing - Entitlement to a summary hearing after a committal hearing - Whether relief under Order 56 in the nature of Certiorari or Mandamus available - s28, s29, s30, s54, s97, s128, s141, s168, Ch 3, Ch 4 and Ch 5 Criminal Procedure Act 2009 - s54, s56 Magistrates Court Act 1989. Gild, Michael Hubert v The Magistrates' Court of Victoria & Ors Dixon J [2015] VSC 84 20/03/2015 JUDICIAL REVIEW - Section 148(1) Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998 (Vic) (VCAT Act) - Questions of law - Factual findings and inferences not open to Tribunal - Factual findings unreasonable - Wednesbury unreasonableness Tribunal's obligations to act fairly (s97 VCAT Act), to afford natural justice (s98(1) VCAT Act), to provide a reasonable opportunity to call or give evidence (s102(1)(a) and (b) VCAT Act) - Incorrect application of the Building Code of Australia 2006 (BCA) - Scheme of the BCA - Options to satisfy BCA Performance Requirements Provisions of AS 2870 - Tribunal's errors in determining damages - Notice of contention - Tribunal's errors in construing the Building Contract Between Metricon Homes P/L (ACN 005 108 752) and Hooper, Graham Digby J [2015] VSC 110 First revision 1 April 2015 26/03/2015 PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - Application by proposed plaintiff to be identified by a pseudonym in a proposed proceeding - Pseudonym order - Whether Open Courts Act 2013 (Vic) applied - Circumstances justifying making a pseudonym order discretionary considerations - privacy for health matters and medical records alone insufficient - Open Courts Act 2013, s7(d) Hunter, Hal v Australian Football League & Anor Dixon J [2015] VSC 112 25/03/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 9 - PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE - Vexatious litigant - Applications for leave to commence proceedings - Applicant a prisoner under sentence - Proposed challenges to aspects of sentence management - Whether proposed proceedings would not be an abuse of process - Whether proposed proceedings would not be foredoomed to fail Applications dismissed - Supreme Court Act 1986 s21 - Vexatious Proceedings Act 2014 s29, s32, s54, s55, s90, s91, s92, s93, s100, s101 - Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984 s14 - Corrections Act 1986 s6A, s20, s21, s47, s56AC, s73A, s74, s74AA, s74AAB, s112 - Corrections Regulations 2009, reg 22, reg 23, reg 24, reg 25, reg 26 Knight, Julian v Money, Brendan Cavanough J [2015] VSC 105 Revision No 1: 27 March 2015 24/03/2015 TESTATOR'S FAMILY MAINTENANCE - Claim by adult son - Sole beneficiary other son of testatrix - Significant need by plaintiff - Plaintiff homeless and impoverished - No contribution by plaintiff to estate or to testatrix's welfare Substantial contribution by defendant to estate and to testatrix's welfare - Small estate In the matter of Part IV of the Administration and Probate Act 1958: In the matter of the Will and Estate of Rosa Ranieri deceased: Gabriele, Pasqualie v Gabriele, Valerio (As Executor of the Estate of the Late Ranieri, Rosa, Deceased) Kaye JA [2015] VSC 115 01/04/2015 CRIMINAL DIVISION CRIMINAL LAW - Evidence - Application by media for copy of record of interview - Application refused - General principles relevant to such an application discussed Crimes Act 1958 s464JB The Director of Public Prosecutions v Williams, Angela Maree (Ruling No. 1) Hollingworth J [2015] VSC 107 27/03/2015 CRIMINAL LAW - Sentence - Manslaughter - One punch - Youth - Intellectual impairment - Sentence of 8 years' imprisonment with non-parole period of 4 years The Queen v Sharp, Tai Priest JA [2015] VSC 116 30/03/2015 EVIDENCE - Criminal Trial - Murder - Applications to exclude admissions made during course of VROIs and covertly recorded conversation with police - impropriety - whether desirability of admitting the evidence outweighs undesirability of admitting evidence improperly obtained - whether mere impropriety or illegality can provide basis for exclusion under unfairness discretion - Crimes Act 1958, s464, s464A, s464C - Evidence Act 2008, s90, s137, s138, s139 - Em v The Queen (2007) 232 CLR 67 The Queen v Kerr, Danielle and Lewis, Darren (Ruling No 1) T Forrest J [2015] VSC 64 27/02/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 10 - EVIDENCE - Murder - First accused objects to the admissibility of evidence of the relationship between the first accused and the deceased - Whether evidence of relationship relevant - Relationship evidence - Hearsay - Whether probative value outweighs danger of unfair prejudiced to the accused - Risk of impermissible tendency reasoning - Relationship evidence admitted. The Director of Public Prosecutions v Kerr, Danielle and Lewis, Darren (Ruling No 2) T Forrest J [2015] VSC 65 27/02/2015 Supreme Court of Victoria – Recent Judgments Bulletin No. 5/2015 [Produced by Supreme Court Library sclib@supremecourt.vic.gov.au] Page - 11 -