Sleiman v The Queen [2012] HCATrans 200

In *Sleiman v The Queen* [2012] HCATrans 200, the High Court of Australia considered an application for special leave to appeal against a decision of the Court of Criminal Appeal of New South Wales. The applicant, Mr Sleiman, had been convicted of a number of offences, including armed robbery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The central legal issue before the High Court was whether the applicant's grounds of appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeal had been properly considered and determined. Specifically, the applicant contended that the Court of Criminal Appeal had failed to adequately address his arguments concerning the admissibility of certain evidence and the fairness of his trial.

Hayne and Crennan JJ granted special leave to appeal. Their Honours indicated that the application raised arguable points of law regarding the proper approach to appeals against conviction where issues of evidence and trial fairness are in contention. The Court did not provide detailed reasons for its decision to grant special leave at this stage, but the granting of leave signifies that the High Court will proceed to hear the substantive appeal.