CONFIDENTIAL
Suppression, etc. of documents.
(j) section 24 - Handling stolen goods.
The offence at common law of conspiracy to defraud.
Explanatory Memorandum
The purpose of this Bill is to provide a new
procedure for the trial of complex commercial crimes.
Under this new procedure serious complex commercial crime
cases may be transferred from the jurisdiction of a
magistrate to jurisdiction of the High Court without the
need for committal proceedings before the magistrate.
Where a case is transferred under this procedure the trial
in the High Court begins with a preparatory hearing before
a judge sitting without a jury. The purpose of the
preparatory hearing is to settle points of law and clarify
issues for the jury. At the conclusion of the preparatory
hearing a jury will be empanelled and the trial will
proceed in the usual way.
2.
3.
Clause 2 defines terms used in the Bill.
Clause 3 authorizes the Attorney General to apply
for an order transferring a case of serious complex
commercial crime that is before a magistrate, to the High
Court.
4.
Clause 4 lists matters which may be taken into
account by the Attorney General in determining whether a
case is of such seriousness and complexity that it is
CONFIDENTIAL