A 'dangerous to convict' direction is not a necessary part of a Longman v The Queen direction concerning delay, and a trial judge is never under a duty to give such a direction. Where there is considerable corroborative evidence beyond the key witness, a bare 'dangerous to convict' direction would beg the question and is best avoided. Section 165(1)(d) of the Evidence Act 1995 does not necessarily extend to accessories after the fact, and even where it does apply, a warning is only required if the evidence is of a kind that might be unreliable by reason of the witness falling within that category.
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