When sentencing for Commonwealth offences, the utilitarian value of a guilty plea is assessed objectively and largely by reference to the timing of the plea. The strength of the Crown case and the subjective motivations of the offender (including whether the plea was entered in recognition of the inevitable) are relevant only to the subjective value of the plea under s 16A(2)(f) and cannot be used to reduce the arithmetical discount applied for the utilitarian value under s 16A(2)(g). An early guilty plea to a Commonwealth offence should ordinarily attract a 25% utilitarian discount consistent with the approach to State offences, unless there are factors bearing on the objective utilitarian value (such as the timing of the plea or the complexity of the avoided trial) that warrant a different discount.
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