Blatch v The Queen

The case of *Blatch v The Queen* concerned an appeal to the High Court of Australia by the applicant, Blatch, against a conviction for murder. The applicant had been found guilty of murder by a jury in the Supreme Court of Queensland and subsequently appealed to the Court of Appeal of Queensland, which dismissed his appeal. The dispute before the High Court centred on the admissibility of certain evidence during the 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. Specifically, the court had to consider whether this evidence was relevant to the issues in dispute and, if so, whether its prejudicial effect outweighed its probative value, thereby rendering it inadmissible under the rules of evidence.

McHugh and Heydon JJ, in their joint judgment, held that the admission of the evidence of prior convictions and bad character was an error. They reasoned that this evidence was not relevant to any issue that the jury was required to determine in relation to the murder charge. The judges emphasised that evidence of prior convictions or bad character is generally inadmissible unless it has a specific relevance to an issue in the case, such as establishing identity, motive, or a course of conduct. In this instance, the evidence was found to be purely prejudicial, suggesting that the applicant was a person of bad character who was likely to have committed the offence, rather than proving any element of the crime itself.

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