Russell v Bates

In *Russell v Bates*, heard before the Court of Quarter Sessions in New South Wales, the central dispute concerned an alleged mistrial. The prosecution involved multiple charges brought against different individuals, which were heard concurrently.

The court was required to determine whether the joint hearing of distinct charges against separate defendants constituted a mistrial, thereby invalidating the proceedings.

The court reasoned that the fundamental principle of a fair trial requires that charges against different individuals be heard separately, particularly when the evidence led for one charge might improperly influence the jury's decision on another. The joint hearing, in this instance, was found to have prejudiced the defendants by potentially conflating the evidence and creating an unfair risk of conviction based on matters not directly relevant to each individual's alleged culpability.

Consequently, the court declared a mistrial, setting aside the previous proceedings.