In R v RBL [2024] QCA 82, the appellant, RBL, sought to appeal against his conviction by the District Court at Brisbane on 16 July 2021. RBL was convicted of one count of torture, three counts of common assault, and three counts of choking in a domestic setting, among other charges. The appeal was based on two grounds: first, that a miscarriage of justice occurred due to the non-admittance of a medical record indicating the complainant's prior self-harm, and second, that the trial judge failed to properly instruct the jury on the relevance of RBL's parole status.
The Court of Appeal, consisting of Morrison and Boddice JJ, and Cooper J, dismissed the appeal. They found that the defence counsel's decision not to admit the medical record was a legitimate forensic choice and did not cause a miscarriage of justice. Furthermore, the trial judge's directions to the jury regarding the appellant's parole status were deemed sufficient and appropriate. Consequently, the conviction and the sentence imposed by the District Court were upheld.