Text as at 1 July 2026

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223 Jury documents relating to trial issues and evidence

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Explained inBill clause 223

(1)For the purpose of helping the jury to understand the issues or the evidence, the trial judge may order, at any time during the trial, that copies of any of the following are to be given to the jury in any form that the trial judge considers appropriate—

(a)the indictment;

S. 223(1A)(a) amended by No. 14/2015 s. 69(4)(a).

(b)the summary of the prosecution opening;

(c)the response of the accused to the summary of the prosecution opening and the response of the accused to the notice of pre-trial admissions of the prosecution;

(d)any document admitted as evidence;

S. 223(1A)(d) amended by No. 14/2015 s. 69(4)(b).

(e)any statement of facts;

(f)the opening and closing addresses of the prosecution and the accused;

(g)any address of the trial judge to the jury under section 222;

(h)any schedules, chronologies, charts, diagrams, summaries or other explanatory material;

See sections 29(4) and 50 of the Evidence Act 2008.

(ha)the transcript of the evidence in the trial;

S. 223(1)(ha) inserted by No. 12/2013 s. 29(1).

(i)transcripts of evidence or audio or audiovisual recordings of evidence;

(j)transcripts of any audio or audiovisual recordings;

(k)the trial judge's directions to the jury under section 238;

(ka)a jury guide specific to the trial;

S. 223(1)(ka) inserted by No. 12/2013 s. 29(2), amended by No. 37/2017 s. 11(2).

(l)any other document that the trial judge considers appropriate.

(1A)A jury guide referred to in subsection (1)(ka) may contain any of the following—

S. 223(1A) inserted by No. 12/2013 s. 29(3).

(a)a list of questions to assist the jury in reaching a verdict (including questions that are included in integrated directions within the meaning of section 67 of the Jury Directions Act 2015);

(b)directions on the evidence and how the evidence is to be assessed;

(c)references to the way in which the prosecution and the accused have put their cases in relation to the issues in the trial;

(d)any evidence identified under section 66 of the Jury Directions Act 2015;

(e)any other information.

(2)The trial judge may specify in an order under subsection (1) when any material is to be given to the jury.