Duncan (a pseudonym) v The King

[2024] VSCA 27

Victorian Court of Appeal

Built by Barristers,
For Australian Law.

See how it works

Interrogate

Catchwords

1. Criminal Law
2. › Interlocutory appeal
3. › Sexual offences
4. › Production of confidential communications
5. › Counselling notes of complainant
6. › Whether confidential communications have substantial probative value
7. › Whether production necessary for accused to make full defence
8. › Whether other evidence of similar or greater probative value available
9. › Evidence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1958 (Vic), ss 32AB, 32C, 32CF, 32D
1. Criminal Law
2. › Evidence
3. › Repressed or recovered memories
4. › Reliability of complainant's memory
5. › Psychologist-assisted memory recovery
6. › Relevance of counselling notes to credibility and reliability
1. Appeal
2. › Standard of appellate review
3. › Correctness standard
4. › Interlocutory decision where only one legally permissible answer
5. › Warren v Coombes (1979) 142 CLR 531

Quick Take

Counselling notes documenting the process of memory recovery in sexual offence cases involving recovered or repressed memories possess substantial probative value, and courts must sequentially consider all s 32D preconditions, including the availability of alternative evidence, before refusing production.