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EVIDENCE ACT 2001 - SECT 129 Exclusion of evidence of reasons for judicial decisions

EVIDENCE ACT 2001 - SECT 129

Division 3 - Evidence excluded in the public interest Exclusion of evidence of reasons for judicial decisions

(1)  Evidence of the reasons for a decision made by a person who is –
(a) a judge in an Australian or overseas proceeding; or
(b) an arbitrator in respect of a dispute submitted to the person, or to the person and one or more other persons, for arbitration –
or the deliberation of a person so acting in relation to such a decision, must not be given by the person or a person who, in relation to the proceeding or arbitration, was under the direction or control of that person.
(2)  Such evidence must not be given by tendering as evidence a document prepared by such a person.
(3)  This section does not prevent the admission or use, in a proceeding, of published reasons for a decision.
(4)  In a proceeding, evidence of the reasons for a decision made by a member of a jury in another Australian or overseas proceeding, or of the deliberations of a member of a jury in relation to such a decision, must not be given by any of the members of that jury.
(5)  This section does not apply in a proceeding that is –
(a) a prosecution for any of the following offences:
(i) an offence against or arising under sections 93 , 98 , 100 and 105 of the Criminal Code ;
(ii) an offence against or arising under section 289 of the Criminal Code ;
(iii) an offence connected with an offence mentioned in subparagraph (i) or (ii) ;
(iv) an offence of conspiring to commit an offence mentioned in subparagraph (i) or (ii) ; or
(b) in respect of a contempt of a court; or
(c) by way of appeal from, or judicial review of, a judgment, decree, order or sentence of a court; or
(d) by way of review of an arbitral award; or
(e) a civil proceeding in respect of an act of a judicial officer or arbitrator that was, and that was known at the time by the judicial officer or arbitrator to be, outside the scope of the matters in relation to which the judicial officer or arbitrator had authority to act.