Proof of convictions for offences
39 Proof of convictions for offences
(1) If the question whether or not a person committed an offence is in question in defamation proceedings:
(a) proof that the person was convicted of the offence by an Australian court is conclusive evidence that the person committed the offence; and
(b) proof that the person was convicted of the offence by a court of any country (other than an Australian court) or a court martial of any country is evidence that the person committed the offence.
(2) For the purposes of this section, the contents of a document that is evidence of conviction of an offence, and the contents of an information, complaint, indictment, charge sheet or similar document on which a person is convicted of an offence, are admissible in evidence to identify the facts on which the conviction is based.
(3) Subsection (2) does not affect the admissibility of other evidence to identify the facts on which the conviction is based.
In this section:
conviction, for an offence, includes a finding of guilt, but does not include:
a conviction that has been set aside or quashed; or
(b) a conviction for an offence for which a person has received a pardon.
This Act’s bill:Second reading speech
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