The utilitarian value of a guilty plea under s 22 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) is to be assessed across the continuum of the justice system from charging to disposition. A plea entered in the Local Court does not automatically attract the maximum discount referred to in R v Thomson & Houlton; the practical extent of the advantage the plea provides for the administration of justice is what matters. Delays in the Local Court, including failures to appear and the assembly of prosecution evidence before the plea is entered, may properly reduce the discount.
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