The 'Turnbull guidelines' proof and evidence under the Malaysian Evidence Act 1950

Turnbull guidelines is a requirement necessary as a matter of law where the case against the accused depended wholly or substantially on the correctness of one or more identifications of the accused, which is alleged by the defence to be mistaken identification. There is a possibility that a mistake...

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Main Author: Kamarudin, Abdul Rani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: LexisNexis 2003
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/8693/1/2003_-_The_%27turnbull_guidelines%27_proof_and_evidence_under_the_Malaysian_evidence_Act_1950.pdf
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author Kamarudin, Abdul Rani
author_facet Kamarudin, Abdul Rani
author_sort Kamarudin, Abdul Rani
collection IIUM
description Turnbull guidelines is a requirement necessary as a matter of law where the case against the accused depended wholly or substantially on the correctness of one or more identifications of the accused, which is alleged by the defence to be mistaken identification. There is a possibility that a mistaken witness can be a convincing one and that a number of such witnesses could all be mistaken. The Court has accepted that evidence of identification is a category of evidence, which though admissible, is thought to be unreliable because of a risk of error. The circumstances in which the identification by each witness came to be made needs to be examined. Though recognition is thought to be more reliable than identification, mistakes in recognition of close relatives and friends are sometimes made. The requirement is in the form of a warning (caution), and provided that the caution is done in clear terms, the judge need not use any particular form of words. The quality of the identification evidence is what matters in the end. A failure to follow the guidelines is likely to result in conviction of the accused being quashed by a superior court, and an order for retrial of the case, as the omission would occasion a failure of justice. Obviously the words 'matters before it' in relation to the definition of proof in the Malaysia Evidence Act 1950 could not mean only 'evidence' but would include other matters the judge or the magistrate has to consider such as the need for special caution when appreciating the evidence of the case in question when it has to decide whether the accused has a case to answer at the close of the case for the prosecution or as to the guilt or innocence of the accused at the conclusion of the trial. The pertinent issue then is whether Turnbull guidelines is evidence or is it a matter other than evidence forming part of the 'matters before it' as to whether a fact is approved or disproved?
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spelling oai:generic.eprints.org:86932013-05-21T05:38:18Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/8693/ The 'Turnbull guidelines' proof and evidence under the Malaysian Evidence Act 1950 Kamarudin, Abdul Rani K Law (General) KPG Malaysia Turnbull guidelines is a requirement necessary as a matter of law where the case against the accused depended wholly or substantially on the correctness of one or more identifications of the accused, which is alleged by the defence to be mistaken identification. There is a possibility that a mistaken witness can be a convincing one and that a number of such witnesses could all be mistaken. The Court has accepted that evidence of identification is a category of evidence, which though admissible, is thought to be unreliable because of a risk of error. The circumstances in which the identification by each witness came to be made needs to be examined. Though recognition is thought to be more reliable than identification, mistakes in recognition of close relatives and friends are sometimes made. The requirement is in the form of a warning (caution), and provided that the caution is done in clear terms, the judge need not use any particular form of words. The quality of the identification evidence is what matters in the end. A failure to follow the guidelines is likely to result in conviction of the accused being quashed by a superior court, and an order for retrial of the case, as the omission would occasion a failure of justice. Obviously the words 'matters before it' in relation to the definition of proof in the Malaysia Evidence Act 1950 could not mean only 'evidence' but would include other matters the judge or the magistrate has to consider such as the need for special caution when appreciating the evidence of the case in question when it has to decide whether the accused has a case to answer at the close of the case for the prosecution or as to the guilt or innocence of the accused at the conclusion of the trial. The pertinent issue then is whether Turnbull guidelines is evidence or is it a matter other than evidence forming part of the 'matters before it' as to whether a fact is approved or disproved? LexisNexis 2003 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/8693/1/2003_-_The_%27turnbull_guidelines%27_proof_and_evidence_under_the_Malaysian_evidence_Act_1950.pdf Kamarudin, Abdul Rani (2003) The 'Turnbull guidelines' proof and evidence under the Malaysian Evidence Act 1950. Malayan Law Journal, 11 (2). pp. 263-277. ISSN 0025-1283 http://www.lexisnexis.com.my/about.asp
spellingShingle K Law (General)
KPG Malaysia
Kamarudin, Abdul Rani
The 'Turnbull guidelines' proof and evidence under the Malaysian Evidence Act 1950
title The 'Turnbull guidelines' proof and evidence under the Malaysian Evidence Act 1950
title_full The 'Turnbull guidelines' proof and evidence under the Malaysian Evidence Act 1950
title_fullStr The 'Turnbull guidelines' proof and evidence under the Malaysian Evidence Act 1950
title_full_unstemmed The 'Turnbull guidelines' proof and evidence under the Malaysian Evidence Act 1950
title_short The 'Turnbull guidelines' proof and evidence under the Malaysian Evidence Act 1950
title_sort turnbull guidelines proof and evidence under the malaysian evidence act 1950
topic K Law (General)
KPG Malaysia
url http://irep.iium.edu.my/8693/1/2003_-_The_%27turnbull_guidelines%27_proof_and_evidence_under_the_Malaysian_evidence_Act_1950.pdf
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