Victorian Numbered Acts

JURY DIRECTIONS AND OTHER ACTS AMENDMENT ACT 2017 (NO. 37 OF 2017) - SECT 1

The purposes of this Act are—

        (a)     to amend the Jury Directions Act 2015 in relation to—

              (i)     criminal proceedings that do not involve a jury; and

              (ii)     directions on evidence of a previous representation; and

              (iii)     directions on doubts regarding the truthfulness or reliability of the evidence of a victim; and

              (iv)     directions on the giving of evidence by an accused; and

              (v)     directions on the interest an accused or a witness has in the outcome of a trial; and

              (vi)     directions on a prosecution witness's motive to lie; and

              (vii)     directions about differences in a complainant's account of an alleged sexual offence; and

              (viii)     directions about majority verdicts and persevering to reach a unanimous verdict; and

              (ix)     directions about the order in which certain matters are considered in jury deliberations; and

        (b)     to amend the Criminal Procedure Act 2009 —

              (i)     to repeal provisions relating to an exception to the hearsay rule and the giving of evidence by alternative means; and

              (ii)     to make further provision in relation to documents that are given to juries; and

        (c)     to amend the Evidence Act 2008 in relation to an exception to the hearsay rule; and

        (d)     to amend the Evidence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1958 to repeal provisions relating to the giving of evidence by alternative means; and

        (e)     to amend the Juries Act 2000 in relation to—

              (i)     peremptory challenges in criminal trials; and

              (ii)     the failure of a jury to reach a unanimous verdict; and

        (f)     to make minor amendments of a statute law revision nature.