The parity principle has significant practical limitations where co-offenders in the same criminal enterprise are charged with different offences involving different quantities, methodologies, and roles. Differential charging resulting from prosecutorial discretion is a matter not open to appellate examination and constitutes an important objective factor limiting parity comparisons. A combined discount for guilty plea and assistance exceeding 50% remains reserved for exceptional cases, and onerous conditions of protective custody do not constitute such exceptional circumstances.
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