A direction to a jury on the liability of an accused as a principal in the second degree must not employ a 'reasonable mind' or 'reasonable view' test, as this introduces an objective standard that risks diluting the requirement of proof beyond reasonable doubt. Where the Crown cannot prove which of several persons present at the scene of a crime committed the particular act giving rise to the offence, the case should be left to the jury on the basis of the Mohan/Clough principle — that each was aiding and abetting the other — rather than requiring the Crown to prove which person was the principal in the first degree. Smart AJ's judgment provides a model direction for such cases.
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