Sentencing Bench Book Update 52 published

Update 52 amends the Bench Book to incorporate recent case law and legislative developments. The following chapters have been revised:

Procedural fairness at:

  • [1-040] Opportunity of addressing the court on issues to add reference to Gwilliam v R [2019] NSWCCA 5, regarding the parties’ onus to present evidence necessary for the court to properly determine the issues.

Obligations of the parties at:

  • [1-220] Duty of legal practitioners to assist sentencing judge to add reference to Haines v R [2021] NSWCCA 149 and McGovern aka Lanesbury v R [2021] NSWCCA 176, regarding the fundamental obligation of legal practitioners to assist the sentencing judge.

Subjective matters taken into account (cf s 21A(1)) at:

  • [10-530] Delay to incorporate discussion of new s 21B Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, regarding the sentencing in accordance with the patterns and practices at the time of sentencing (inserted by Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment Act 2022 and applying to proceedings commenced on or after 18 October 2022).
  • [10-570] Deportation to add reference to R v Calica [2021] NTSCFC 2 and R v Fati [2021] SASCA 99, regarding the approach to taking deportation into account on sentence.

Section 21A factors “in addition to” any Act or rule of law at:

  • [11-337] Section 21B — sentencing patterns and practices to incorporate discussion of new s 21B Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, regarding the sentencing in accordance with the patterns and practices at the time of sentencing (inserted by Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment Act 2022 and applying to proceedings commenced on or after 18 October 2022).

Power to reduce penalties for assistance to authorities at:

  • [12-205] Rationale to add AGF v R [2016] NSWCCA 236, confirming the rationale for the discount as explained in R v Cartwright (1989) 17 NSWLR 243 remains valid despite s 23 Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999.
  • [12-210] Procedure to add Macallister (a pseudonym) v R [2020] NSWCCA 306, R v SS [2021] NSWCCA 56 and Ahmad v R [2021] NSWCCA 30, regarding presenting evidence of assistance.
  • [12-215] Broad scope of s 23(1) — “any other offence” to add Ahmad v R [2021] NSWCCA 30.
  • [12-218] Voluntary disclosure of unknown guilt — Ellis principle to add R v SS [2021] NSWCCA 56.
  • [12-230] Applying the discount to add FS v R [2009] NSWCCA 301, Ahmad v R [2021] NSWCCA 30 and McKinley v R [2022] NSWCCA 14, regarding the level of combined discount that can be applied in sentencing.
  • [12-240] Promised assistance to add R v Skuthorpe [2015] NSWCCA 140, regarding the appellate court’s power to vary a sentence under s 5DA(2) Criminal Appeal Act 1912.

Sexual offences against children at:

  • [17-410] Sentencing for historical child sexual offences to incorporate discussion of new s 21B Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999, regarding the sentencing in accordance with the patterns and practices at the time of sentencing (inserted by Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment Act 2022 and applying to proceedings commenced on or after 18 October 2022).
  • [17-420] Statutory scheme in the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) to update the table of sexual offences against children under the Crimes Act 1900.
  • [17-500] Persistent sexual abuse of child: s 66EA to update commentary in light of s 66EA following the commencement of Criminal Legislation Amendment (Child Sexual Abuse) Act 2018. References have been added to R v RB [2022] NSWCCA 142, regarding fact finding following a jury’s guilty verdict, and GP (a pseudonym) v R [2021] NSWCCA 180 and Burr v R [2020] NSWCCA 282, regarding assessing the objective seriousness of a s 66EA offence.

Offences against justice/in public office at:

  • [20-195] Resisting/hindering/impersonating police to incorporate amendments to the Crimes Act 1900 following commencement of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Assaults on Frontline Emergency and Health Workers) Act 2022 on 18 October 2022 which created new/amended offences involving assaults etc against law enforcement officers and others.

Murder at:

  • [30-048] Delay between murder offence and sentence has been removed.

Assault, wounding and related offences at:

  • [50-000] Introduction and statutory framework, [50-120] Assaults etc against law enforcement officers and frontline emergency and health workers and [50-125] Assaults etc against persons who aid law enforcement officers, and other offences to incorporate amendments to the Crimes Act 1900 following commencement of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Assaults on Frontline Emergency and Health Workers) Act 2022 on 18 October 2022 which created new/amended offences involving assaults etc against law enforcement officers and others.

Appeals at:

  • [70-040] Section 6(3) — some other sentence warranted in law and [70-110] Resentencing following a successful Crown appeal to incorporate discussion of new s 21B Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 regarding the sentencing in accordance with the patterns and practices at the time of sentencing (inserted by Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment Act 2022 and applying to proceedings commenced on or after 18 October 2022).