What is the Vye direction?

In outline, A ‘Vye direction’ is a direction given by the judge to the jury concerning the weight that should be given to evidence of the defendant’s good character (see evidence of good character).

What is effective good character?

A ‘good character’ is defined as someone who is clear of any previous convictions. Even if you do have previous convictions, you could still be deemed to be of ‘effective good character’, for example where your convictions are outdated or irrelevant enough that they are put aside for the purposes of the jury.

What is good character in court?

In criminal cases, ‘good character’ was often used to describe a defendant who had no criminal convictions or cautions, although this concept of good character could be undermined where there was evidence of other ‘reprehensible behaviour’ on their part, such as previous criminal conduct (other than that which the …

Can you use your good character as an evidence?

The law provides that a jury is entitled to take evidence of an accused’s good character into account in favour of [him/her] on the question of the whether the Crown has proved [the accused’s] guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

What is a good character direction?

A good character direction is a common direction which may be given by a judge to a jury as part of the summing up at the end of a trial. The court sought to bring clarity to this overly complicated area. The court applied common sense to situations where a defendant is of classic good character.

How do you write a character reference for court UK?

Content of the reference

Introduce yourself. State what your occupation is and any qualifications you hold.
Outline your relationship with the person who is the subject of the legal proceedings. DO.
Acknowledge the charges that have been brought against the person. DO.
State your opinion of the person’s general character. DO.

Do judges read character references?

A character reference is a letter and includes your opinion of this person. The magistrate or judge will read the character reference before deciding what penalty to give. The reference will be more helpful if you have known the person for a long time or you have had lots of contact with them.

Are character references read out in court?

You have been asked to write a character reference for someone going to court because this person has broken the law. A character reference is a letter and includes your opinion of this person. The magistrate or judge will read the character reference before deciding what penalty to give.

How do character witnesses work?

Character witnesses can testify on behalf of another as to that person’s positive or negative character traits and the person’s reputation in the community. Such character evidence is often used in criminal cases. The testimony has to be within the scope of a federal rule of evidence or state rule of evidence.

What makes a good character witness?

Unlike expert witnesses or eyewitnesses, character witnesses provide important information about the background and character of legal defendants. Instead, he or she should discuss situations in which the defendant demonstrated honesty, trustworthiness, and accountability.