When sentencing for contempt of the Crime and Corruption Commission, the coercive element of the punishment and the need for general deterrence must be considered before taking pre-sentence custody for unrelated offences into account. Taking full account of such custody may be erroneous where it effectively nullifies the punitive and coercive purposes of the contempt sentence, particularly where the contemnor has relied on existing incarceration as a basis for defying the Commission's authority. The statutory contempt regime under the Crime and Corruption Act 2001 (Qld) is a distinctive offence attracting sui generis remedies that are not governed solely by ordinary sentencing principles.
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