The utilitarian value of a guilty plea during the Covid-19 pandemic (the Worboyes discount) must be applied consistently across all Victorian courts and does not vary according to whether the plea is entered in the Magistrates' Court, County Court or Supreme Court. A s 6AAA statement indicating a modest discount for a guilty plea is not, of itself, indicative of sentencing error, as the formulation of the s 6AAA declaration is an artificial exercise inconsistent with the instinctive synthesis. The lateness of a plea entered after trial has commenced substantially reduces the utilitarian benefit it would otherwise have had, even during the pandemic.
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