Baker v The Queen

In *Baker v The Queen*, the Court of Appeal of Victoria considered an appeal against a conviction. The appellant, Baker, challenged the trial judge's decisions regarding the admission of certain evidence, the conduct of the trial, and the ultimate verdict.

The central legal issues before the Court of Appeal were whether the trial judge had erred in admitting evidence referred to as the "four hits" evidence, whether the jury should have been discharged following the Crown's opening address, whether a *Jones v Dunkel* direction was required concerning an anticipated Crown witness, and whether the dates specified in the indictment were an essential element of the offence. The Court also considered whether the verdict reached by the jury was unsafe.

The Court of Appeal found no error in the trial judge's rulings. It reasoned that the admission of the "four hits" evidence was permissible, that the Crown's opening did not necessitate a discharge of the jury, and that a *Jones v Dunkel* direction was not warranted in the circumstances. Furthermore, the Court determined that the dates on the indictment were not an essential feature of the offence as charged. Ultimately, the Court concluded that the verdict was open to the jury on the evidence presented at trial and was therefore not unsafe. The appeal was dismissed.