Hearing

MAJORITY OPINION.— The Prosecution Act 2025, as amended by the Prosecution (#Opportunity Justice Reforms) (Amendment 9) Act 2026, introduced, under Part 7, Section 3 (6), the ability of the court to certify "1-2 pieces of evidence", with the exception that if suspending the case to certify more than this amount would be unreasonable or detrimental to the public interest, more pieces may be certified.

Compound evidence, under Part 6, Section 4 of the Prosecution Act, was recently defined under the Prosecution (Amendment 10) Act 2026 as two or more pieces of evidence submitted at the same time to establish a common set of facts or circumstances is permitted in the circumstances that the compound evidence as a whole sufficienctly establishes the context and circumstances and it does not affect the authenticity or reliability of the evidence as a whole, this amendment replaced the previous provision that entirely declared compound evidence as unacceptable.

WHEREFORE.— If during a trial, either party submits evidence using a single album, this shall be considered a method of submission and each screenshot or video included within shall be each considered their own "piece of evidence" and will require the individual consideration of the court, as if it had been the sole piece of evidence submitted under a single URL.

"Compound evidence" under the Prosecution Act 2025 is clear in that compound evidence is any submission that involves two or more pieces of evidence submitted together, the court deems that each individual screenshot or video, shall be considered one (1) piece of evidence. An album as submitted, that contains a mixture of both evidence that complies with Part 6 of the Prosecution Act 2025 and that which does not, should be viewed as individual pieces of evidence, the court, under the Prosecution Act 2025, shall be permitted to certify up to two (2) of the pieces of evidence within this album.

If the total number of non-compliant pieces of evidence within the album is higher than two (2), than it shall be required to seek certification through an Ethics Board, established under Part 7 of the Prosecution Act 2025, prior to the commencement of the hearing, a failure to do so, shall result in the suspension of the case and issuing a continuance by the presiding judge(s) for the Department of Justice to organise an Ethics Board as per Part 7, Section 3 (6) (1) of the Prosecution Act 2025, unless otherwise permitted under clauses 2 or 3 of the same section.

SO ORDERED.— Chief Justice dreckly delivered the opinion in which Senior Associate Justices Inconclusive- and Brokyyy_ and Associate Justices Pawtistic and Martin. joined.

Deputy Chief Justice Kelpti recused from discussions and voting.