Following Dinsdale v The Queen, the correct approach to sentencing for repeated driving under suspension is that a suspended sentence of imprisonment is always open, and only if it is decided that suspension is not appropriate may a court impose immediate imprisonment. The previous formulation requiring 'exceptional circumstances' before suspension is no longer appropriate. The need for deterrent sentences for repeated driving under suspension remains, but the emphasis has shifted from requiring justification for suspension to requiring justification for immediate imprisonment.
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