For Commonwealth drug importation offences involving marketable quantities, the quantity imported expressed as a percentage of the commercial quantity of the relevant drug provides a reliable common denominator for comparing offence seriousness across cases involving different drugs. Victorian sentencing practice for couriers who plead guilty with no relevant prior convictions shows a strong correlation between quantity (as % of CQ) and sentence, with sentences for 30-40% of CQ in the range of 5-6 years. There is a marked disparity between Victorian and interstate sentencing for equivalent quantities, with interstate sentences being substantially higher. The Court left open whether Victorian sentencing practices are adequate by national standards.
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