MB v The Queen

The High Court of Australia considered an appeal by MB against a conviction for sexual offences. The dispute concerned the admissibility of certain evidence during MB's trial, specifically evidence relating to the complainant's prior sexual history.

The central legal issue before the High Court was whether the trial judge had erred in admitting evidence of the complainant's sexual history, which MB argued was irrelevant and prejudicial. This raised questions about the proper application of the rules of evidence, particularly concerning the exclusion of evidence that might improperly influence a jury's decision.

The High Court, in allowing the appeal, held that the admission of the evidence in question was a material error. The Court reasoned that the evidence was not relevant to any issue in the trial and its prejudicial effect outweighed any probative value it might have had. The judges applied principles of evidence law that require a careful balancing of relevance and prejudice, emphasizing that evidence should not be admitted if its primary effect is to create an unfair bias against the accused. The conviction was quashed, and a new trial was ordered.