A sentencing judge is not required to expressly invite defence submissions before making a serious violent offence declaration, provided defence counsel had adequate notice the declaration was being sought. The sufficiency of reasons for such a declaration varies with the circumstances: where the characterisation as a serious violent offender is not really in dispute, the threshold of sufficiency is lower. A sentencing judge's erroneous reliance on a particular aspect of criminal history will not vitiate the declaration where the offence itself independently provides a sufficient basis.
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