Wigney v The Queen

In *Wigney v The Queen*, the High Court of Australia considered an appeal by the applicant, Wigney, against his conviction for murder. The dispute centred on the admissibility of certain evidence during his 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. This question involved determining whether the probative value of this evidence outweighed its prejudicial effect, and whether it was relevant to establishing the applicant's guilt of the offence charged.

Callinan and Heydon JJ held that the admission of the evidence of prior convictions and bad character was an error. Their Honours reasoned that the evidence was not sufficiently relevant to the charge of murder and that its prejudicial effect was substantial, likely to have led the jury to infer guilt based on the applicant's past conduct rather than the evidence relating to the murder itself. The Court applied the principles governing the admissibility of such evidence, emphasising the need for a clear and direct connection between the prior conduct and the offence charged to justify its admission.

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