Ik v The Queen

The High Court of Australia heard an appeal in *Ik v The Queen*. The appellant, Ik, was convicted of a criminal offence and appealed against that conviction. The respondent was the Crown.

The central legal issue before the High Court was whether the trial judge had erred in admitting certain evidence, specifically evidence of prior convictions of the appellant, which the appellant argued was unfairly prejudicial and therefore inadmissible under the rules of evidence. The Court was required to consider the application of the exclusionary rule concerning evidence of character and previous convictions, and the exceptions to that rule.

The High Court analysed the relevant provisions of the *Uniform Evidence Law* and relevant High Court authority. Their Honours found that the evidence of prior convictions was admitted for a purpose other than to establish the appellant's propensity to commit the offence charged, and that the trial judge had properly directed the jury on the limited use they could make of that evidence. The Court concluded that the admission of the evidence did not occasion a miscarriage of justice.

The appeal was dismissed.