Reduction in Penalties at Sentence August 2009 A report of the NSW Sentencing Council A report of the NSW Sentencing Council pursuant to section 100J (1) (c) of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW). The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the private or professional views of individual Council members or the views of their individual organisations. A decision of the majority is a decision of the Council— Schedule 1A, clause 12 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW). Published in Sydney by the: NSW Sentencing Council Box 6 GPO SYDNEY 2001 www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/sentencingcouncil Email: [email protected] ISSN: 978-1-921590-15-3 CONTENTS The Council Officers of the Council Acknowledgements Table of Cases Table of Legislation RECOMMENDATIONS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2: DISCOUNT FOR PLEA OF GUILTY CHAPTER 3: ASSISTANCE TO AUTHORITIES CHAPTER 4: OTHER DISCOUNTING FACTORS IN MITIGATION AT SENTENCE CHAPTER 5: APPLYING DISCOUNTING FACTORS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SENTENCING EXERCISE AS A WHOLE CHAPTER 6: CHARGE NEGOTIATIONS CHAPTER 7: THE TOTALITY PRINCIPLE AND THE USE OF FORM 1 CHAPTER 8: ADVICE OF THE COUNCIL ANNEXURES: A - CASE STUDY: MURDER IN NSW B - SUBMISSIONS BIBLIOGRAPHY THE COUNCIL The Hon James Wood AO QC, Chairperson The Hon John Dunford QC, Deputy Chairperson Mr Howard Brown OAM, Victims of Crimes Assistance League Mr N R Cowdery AM QC, Director of Public Prosecutions Assistant Commissioner Paul Carey, NSW Police1 Mrs Jennifer Fullford, Community Representative Ms Martha Jabour, Homicide Victims Support Group Mr Norman Laing, NSW Aboriginal Land Council Mr Ken Marslew AM, Enough is Enough Anti-Violence Movement Mr Mark Ierace SC, Senior Public Defender Ms Jennifer Mason, Department of Community Services2 Ms Penny Musgrave, Department of Justice and Attorney General3 Mr Ronald Woodham, PSM, Department of Corrective Services 1. Assistant Commissioner Paul Carey was appointed to the Council on 2 June 2008 and attended as an observer prior to this date. 2. Ms Jennifer Mason became Director General of the Department of Community Services in March 2008. Prior to this appointment, she was the Director General of the Department of Juvenile Justice. 3. Ms Penny Musgrave was appointed to the Council on 25 February 2008. OFFICERS OF THE COUNCIL Executive Officer Katherine McFarlane4 Anna Butler5 Research Officers Belinda Fitzpatrick Nola Katakouzinos Huette Lam Student Intern Program Chelsea Tabart (University of Sydney) Jenna Dennison (University of New South Wales) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The NSW Sentencing Council gratefully acknowledges the assistance provided by numerous agencies and individuals in the course of this reference. In particular thanks are extended to the Mr Paul Winch and Mr Mark Carmody of the Public Defender’s Office for their contribution to the murder case study 4 Ms Katherine McFarlane was Executive Officer for the Council from January 2006 to June 2009. 5 Ms Anna Butler was appointed Executive Officer for the Council in June 2009. TABLE OF CASES A AB v The Queen (1999) 198 CLR 111..................................................................................[2.3], [3.42], [7.30] Ahmad v The Queen [2006] NSWCCA 177.............................................................[2.22], [2.28], [2.43], [6.20] Alameddine v The Queen [2006] NSWCCA 317 ......................................................................................[4.48] Aslett v The Queen [2006] NSWCCA 360 .........................................................................Annexure A Table 2 Attorney General’s Application under s 37 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 1 of 2002, Re (2002) 56 NSWLR 146.......................................................[7.71]–[7.79], [7.87]–[7.88],[8.100], [8.117], [8.122] B Bond v The Queen (1990) 48 A Crim R 1.................................................................................................[3.19] Browne v The Queen [2006] NSWCCA 62.............................................................................................[8.130] C Cahyadi v The Queen (2007) 168 A Crim R 41.............................................................................[7.29], [7.34] Cameron v The Queen (2002) 209 CLR 339......................................................................[2.11]–[2.12], [8.21] Camilleri’s Stock Feeds Pty Ltd v Environment Protection Authority [1993] NSWLR 683........................[7.48] Carruthers v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 276 ........................................................................................[3.32] Choi v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 150..............................................................................[2.28], [4.6], [7.41] Chow v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (1992) 28 NSWLR 593...................................................[6.12] Christodoulou v The Queen [2008] NSWCCA 102...................................................................................[4.48] Cooper v The Queen [2009] NSWCCA 57 .................................................................................................[4.7] D Danial v The Queen [2008] NSWCCA 15.................................................................................................[2.46] De Campos v The Queen [2006] NSWCCA 51 ........................................................................................[3.38] Derriman v Slattery [1982] 1 NSWLR 214 ................................................................................................[7.22] Do v The Queen [2008] NSWCCA 34.......................................................................................................[2.39] DPP (Cth) v El Karhani (1990) 21 NSWLR 370........................................................................................[4.35] E Environment Protection Authority v Barnes [2006] NSWCCA 246 ...........................................................[7.48] G GAS v The Queen; SJK v The Queen (2004) 217 CLR 198....................................[6.13], [6.18], [6.20]–[6.21] Gedeon v NSW Crime Commission (2008) 236 CLR 120........................................................................[4.45] Giac v The Queen [2008] NSWCCA 280..................................................................................................[2.22] Gillies v DPP (NSW) [2008] NSWCCA 339 ................................................................................................[4.8] Griffiths v The Queen (1989) 167 CLR 372 ..............................................................................................[4.15] H Harrigan v The Queen [2005] NSWCCA 449 ...........................................................................................[7.35] Harrison v The Queen (1990) 48 A Crim R 197.........................................................[7.1], [7.34], [7.43], [7.45] HVN v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 207..................................................................................................[3.33] J Johnson v The Queen (2004) 205 ALR 346 ........................................[7.2], [7.26]–[7.27], [7.36]–[7.37], [7.48] Jones v The Queen (1993) 70 A Crim R 449............................................................................................[4.11] K Kite v The Queen [2009] NSWCCA 12......................................................................[2.7], [2.22], [2.24], [5.16] L L Vogel & Son Pty Ltd v Anderson (1967) 120 CLR 157..........................................................................[7.34] Larsen v The Queen (1989) 44 A Crim R 121 ..........................................................................................[7.46] Lewins v The Queen (2007) 175 A Crim R 40....................................................................[2.22], [3.22], [5.10] Longley v The Queen (Unreported, NSW Court of Criminal Appeal, 21 April 1994) ...............................[7.22] Lowe v The Queen (1984) 154 CLR 606..................................................................................................[7.49] Luu v The Queen [2008] NSWCCA 285 ...................................................................................................[7.59] M MacDonald v The Queen (1990) 52 A Crim R 349...................................................................................[7.45] Many v The Queen (1990) 51 A Crim R 54 ...............................................................[3.9]–[3.11], [3.14], [3.25] Markarian v The Queen (2005) 228 CLR 357.........................................................................[5.2]–[5.4], [7.88] Mathews v The Queen (1991) 56 A Crim R 23.........................................................................................[7.43] Maxwell v The Queen (2007) 177 A Crim R 498 ...........................................................................[2.28], [6.22] McCallum v Parole Board of NSW [2003] NSWCCA 294.........................................................................[7.16] McCallum v The Commissioner of Corrective Services (2002) 129 A Crim R 590...................................[7.16] McDonald v The Queen (1988) 38 A Crim R 470.....................................................................................[4.24] McDonald v The Queen (1994) 48 FCR 555 ..............................................................................................[7.7] McKibben v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 89 ...........................................................................................[7.58] McL