The parity principle has only limited application where co-offenders are sentenced under different regimes (adult court and Children's Court), and the focus should be on the appropriateness of the sentence for the adult offender rather than direct comparison with the Children's Court disposition. The gap between head sentence and non-parole period requires particular scrutiny for young offenders being incarcerated for the first time, and the absence of explanation for a short gap may itself warrant appellate intervention. The court was divided on whether parity can apply at all between the two regimes, with Ormiston J.A. holding it cannot.
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