A trial judge giving a Longman direction is not required as a matter of law to state specific examples of forensic disadvantage in every case. The direction should be crafted to the facts and circumstances of the particular case, with the object of ensuring a fair trial and avoiding the perceptible risk of a miscarriage of justice. Where an accused denies all offending and does not give evidence of any particular forensic disadvantage, the only prejudice reasonably to be presumed or inferred is prejudice of the kind that can be identified from the nature of the delay itself.
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