In the case of R v MRB [2024] QCA 64, the appellant was convicted by a jury of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug, specifically cocaine, under section 307.1(1) of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). MRB imported a generator from South Africa, which he claimed he believed to be stolen, rather than containing drugs. His defence argued that he bought the generator with a group intending to sell it at a profit and was unaware of its illicit contents. The trial judge's direction to the jury, particularly regarding the Liberato direction, became a focal point of the appeal. The appellant claimed the judge's directions were confusing and led to a miscarriage of justice. Ultimately, the court found that despite minor points of contention in the directions, the overall instructions given to the jury were clear and adequate. The appeal against conviction was dismissed.
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