The Crown appealed the acquittal of a military corporal charged with disgraceful conduct and ill-treating a subordinate.
The charges arose from allegations of inappropriate physical contact in a busy military galley.
The military judge found the complainant generally credible but acquitted the accused, citing a lack of contextual evidence regarding the workplace environment and shift schedules that left her with a reasonable doubt.
On appeal, the Crown argued the military judge erred in law by implicitly requiring corroboration of the complainant's testimony.
The Court Martial Appeal Court dismissed the appeal, holding that the military judge did not require corroboration but appropriately acquitted based on a lack of evidence and concerns about the reliability of the testimony in context.
