Where known delays in the parole system mean that a parole eligibility date will not provide an offender with real benefit for an early guilty plea, the sentencing judge must consider alternative orders including partial or full suspension of the sentence. Failure to consider such alternatives constitutes an error affecting the sentencing discretion. The head sentence should not be reduced on account of the guilty plea; rather, the plea should be recognised in the non-parole period or equivalent mechanism.
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