The expression 'without lawful occasion' in s 69(1) of the Criminal Code (Qld) is not confined to self-defence but encompasses any good and lawful reason for going armed in public, including firing a weapon to break up a fight. The prosecution bears the burden of establishing the absence of lawful occasion beyond reasonable doubt once evidence raises the issue. Convictions for grievous bodily harm may be sustained solely on the basis of admissions in recorded police interviews, independently of inconsistent Crown witness testimony. The question whether a co-accused may rely on statements in another co-accused's police interview tendered by the prosecution was raised but left open.
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