The phrase 'unsafe to convict' is equivalent to 'dangerous to convict' for the purposes of a Longman direction, and no specific form of words is mandated. A Longman direction should be assessed as a whole in the context of the trial, not parsed for technical deficiencies in terminology. The question of the minimum essential elements of a Longman direction remains unresolved, with the majority and dissent disagreeing on whether the direction must explicitly address the difficulty of testing evidence by cross-examination where delay allows inconsistencies to be explained away.
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3 of the 10 citing cases carry a classified treatment. How each court treated it is available to signed-in members.