The Court of Appeal held that the trial judge erred in attempting to explain or elaborate upon the meaning of the expression 'beyond reasonable doubt' to the jury, contrary to the established High Court principles in Thomas v The Queen and Green v The Queen. The convictions on two Commonwealth offences were quashed and a retrial was ordered. The decision reinforces that trial judges must not go beyond the standard direction and should not attempt to define or paraphrase the concept of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
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