A plea of guilty by a juvenile offender may constitute a special circumstance for the purposes of s 188(2) of the Juvenile Justice Act 1992 (Qld), but does not automatically require the court to order early release after 50 per cent of the sentence. The discretion to decline early release is not limited where the gravity of offending, criminal history and poor prospects of reform weigh against it. Cumulative sentences for juvenile offenders are warranted where offences are separated in nature and time.
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