At the present time a Judge in a crown court trial and both sets of barristers know about previous convictions, the Jury do not I am arguing that should always remain the case. If someone has been overheard threatening to kill someone they are accused of murdering then that is evidence for that case so of course it is appropriate it is heard. What is not apprpriate is a disclosure of past convictions to a Jury, so if the defendant has previously been convicted of threatenning to kill someone that they now stand trial accused of murdering then of course disclosure would predjudice thier defence.
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