Confessions

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1979

Principle established: A trial judge's directions regarding the burden of proof and statements made by an accused must be evaluated in the context of the entire summing-up to determine if any misdirection occurred.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1979

Principle established: A trial judge's directions regarding the burden of proof and statements made by an accused must be evaluated in the context of the entire summing-up to determine if any misdirection occurred.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1962

Principle established: A conviction cannot stand where it is founded solely on an accused person's statement that simultaneously incriminates the accused and denies guilt.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1962

Principle established: A criminal conviction must be set aside where it is based on a statement by the accused that equally incriminates and exculpates him.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1961

Principle established: An out-of-court statement by one accused implicating a co-accused is not evidence against that co-accused, and failure so to direct the jury vitiates that co-accused's conviction.

Sierra Leone — African Law Reports · 1967-68

Principle established: A confession made by one accused is admissible evidence only against himself and cannot be used by the jury against a co-accused.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1967

Principle established: A confession or extra-judicial statement made by one accused is admissible only against its maker and must not be used as evidence against a co-accused.

Sierra Leone — Court of Appeal · 1979

Principle established: It is a fatal misdirection for a trial judge to characterize an accused person's admission of causing injury as a confession to the crime of murder when the defence is accident.

Sierra Leone — Supreme Court · 1984

Principle established: A trial judge must conduct a voir dire to establish voluntariness when a statement's admissibility is challenged, and statutory language providing that an offender 'shall be liable' confers discretionary rather than mandatory sentencing power.