Law Weblog
R v Wang [2005] HL
Friday 11 February 2005 at 9:52 pm | In News | 1 Comment[Juries – verdict – there are no circumstances in which a judge is entitled to direct a jury to return a verdict of guilty]
D a Buddhist had a sword and a knife in his bag; it was stolen at an Essex railway station. As a Buddhist D practised Shaolin, a traditional martial art requiring the use of the knife. The judge at Chelmsford Crown Court could not see that the defendant had a defence and directed the jury to find him guilty on two counts of having an article with a blade or point in a public place.
Held: There are no circumstances in which a judge is entitled to direct a jury to return a verdict of guilty.
Not guilty.
Full report here.
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Interesting why the Public Prosecutor would even want to pursue a case like this. Only serves to cause angst and not to mention expensive legal costs for the defendant.
Comment by Chui Tey — Saturday 12 February 2005 11:32 am #