Bawden v The Queen

In *Bawden v The Queen*, the High Court of Australia considered an appeal by the applicant, Bawden, against his conviction for murder. The dispute centred on the admissibility of certain evidence during his trial.

The primary legal issue before the High Court was whether the trial judge had erred in admitting evidence of the applicant's prior convictions and prior bad character. This raised questions about the proper application of the rules of evidence, particularly concerning the prejudice that such evidence might create in the minds of the jury.

The High Court held that the admission of the evidence of prior convictions and bad character was an error. Their Honours reasoned that the evidence was not relevant to any issue in the trial and was likely to have unfairly prejudiced the applicant in the eyes of the jury. The court applied the principle that evidence of prior convictions or bad character is generally inadmissible unless it has a specific, relevant probative value that outweighs its prejudicial effect.

The High Court allowed the appeal, quashed the conviction, and ordered a new trial.