You represent Khalid, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge…
You represent Khalid, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of possessing a prohibited weapon (an indictable only offence). Khalid’s defence is duress, and his defence statement sets out that he agreed to look after the weapon for Tariq, after Tariq made threats of serious violence against Khalid if he did not do so. Khalid also states that he only agreed because he believed the threats were true and he was scared for his life. Khalid informs you in conference that he has been told that Tariq has recently fled to Afghanistan where he is now in hiding. At a pre-trial hearing prosecution counsel tells you that if Khalid proposes to give evidence of what he alleges Tariq said to him, the prosecution will argue that it is inadmissible hearsay. What is the correct response to this assertion? That the evidence