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Crimes (Sentencing) Act 2005
36Reduction of sentence—assistance to law enforcement
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36 Reduction of sentence—assistance to law enforcement
authorities
(a) an offender is convicted or found guilty of an offence; and
(b) the offender assisted, or undertook to assist, law enforcement
authorities in—
(i) preventing, detecting or investigating the offence or any
other offence; or
(ii) a proceeding in relation to the offence or any other offence.
(2) A court may impose a lesser penalty (including a shorter nonparole
period) on the offender than it would otherwise have imposed having
regard to the degree of assistance provided, or undertaken to be
provided, to law enforcement authorities.
Note The DPP may appeal against the reduced sentence if the offender does
not comply with the undertaking (see s 137).
(3) In deciding whether to impose a lesser penalty for the offence, and
the nature and extent of the penalty to be imposed, the court must
consider the following matters:
(a) the effect of the offence on the victims of the offence, the
impact statement;
Note For who may make a victim impact statement, see s 49.
(b) the significance and usefulness of the offender’s assistance to
law enforcement authorities, taking into account any evaluation
by the authorities of the assistance provided or undertaken to be
provided;
(c) the truthfulness, completeness and reliability of any information
or evidence provided by the offender;
(d) the nature and extent of the offender’s assistance or promised
assistance;
(e) the timeliness of the assistance or undertaking to assist;
(f) any benefits that the offender has gained or may gain because of
the assistance or undertaking to assist;
(g) whether the offender will suffer harsher custodial conditions
because of the assistance or undertaking to assist;
(h) any injury suffered by the offender or the offender’s family, or
any danger or risk of injury to the offender or the offender’s
family, because of the assistance or undertaking to assist;
(i) whether the assistance or promised assistance is in relation to
the offence for which the offender is being sentenced or an
unrelated offence;
(j) if the offender is to serve a sentence of imprisonment—the
likelihood that the offender will commit further offences after
release from imprisonment.
(4) A lesser penalty imposed under this section must not be unreasonably