Section 55B of the Jury Act 1977 (NSW) does not displace the common law requirement for oral directions to the jury. Written question trails or directions must be read and explained orally to the jury in their entirety, and the trial judge must emphasise that written directions are supplementary to, not a substitute for, oral directions. The practice of having the jury retire to the jury room to read written directions privately during the summing-up is not to be encouraged. A trial judge's obligation to put the defence case is not discharged by merely noting that the 'battleline is clear' without substantive reference to the defence submissions.
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