The defendant was charged with an offence under the 1889 Act. He had been alleged to have paid an immigration officer for the handing over of certain files which were then destroyed. At trial, the defendant argued that since the officer was an employee of the crown, and the Crown was not a public body … Continue reading Regina v Natji: CACD 14 Feb 2002
The defendant appealed against his conviction under the 1889 Act for making a corrupt gift to a local government officer. He said that the 1916 Act placed an unfair burden on him to prove that the gift was not corruptly given. Held: The appeal succeeded. Article 6.2 does not provide an absolute prohibition against the … Continue reading Webster v Regina: CACD 1 Dec 2010
Appeals were brought complaining as to the apparent reversal of the burden of proof in road traffic cases and in cases under the Terrorism Acts. Was a legal or an evidential burden placed on a defendant? Held: Lord Bingham of Cornhill said: ‘The overriding concern is that a trial should be fair, and the presumption … Continue reading Sheldrake v Director of Public Prosecutions; Attorney General’s Reference No 4 of 2002: HL 14 Oct 2004
