What is the ‘Murray Direction’?
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The Murray Direction refers to an instruction given by a judge to the jury when the prosecution’s case relies heavily on uncorroborated evidence from a single witness.
This comes from the case R v Murray (1987) 11 NSWLR 12, where it was determined that juries should be cautious when convicting solely based on such evidence.
Single Witness Testimony
If the prosecution’s case depends on one person’s account, with no supporting evidence, the jury is warned to scrutinise this testimony carefully.
Caution in Conviction
The judge directs the jury that, although they can convict on the basis of uncorroborated evidence, they must be sure of the witness’s credibility and reliability before doing so.
Protection Against Unreliable Evidence
This direction helps protect against wrongful convictions by ensuring that juries don’t rely too heavily on evidence that hasn’t been confirmed by other sources.
About Post Author
Brian Walker
B.Acc., GradDipLegPrac, Juris Dr
Barrister & Accountant.
Former Criminal Defence Solicitor. Former Federal Prosecutor for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions prosecuting Commonwealth crimes relating to drugs and child exploitation. Former Australian Federal Police member litigating proceeds of crime matters. Former Australian Taxation Office employee investigating offshore tax evasion matters.
Post Created by Cassidy Pole, paralegal.
* Information contained in this article is of a general nature only and should not be relied upon as concise legal advice.
Please contact for legal advice tailored to your situation. *
About Brian Walker
B.Acc., GradDipLegPrac, Juris Dr Barrister & Accountant. Former Criminal Defence Solicitor. Former Federal Prosecutor for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions prosecuting Commonwealth crimes relating to drugs and child exploitation. Former Australian Federal Police member litigating proceeds of crime matters. Former Australian Taxation Office employee investigating offshore tax evasion matters. Post Created by Cassidy Pole, paralegal.