Criminal Code Act 1995

A person who conspires with another person to commit an offence punishable by imprisonment for more than 12 months, or by a fine of 200 penalty units or more, commits the offence of conspiracy to commit that offence and is punishable as if the offence to which the conspiracy relates had been committed.

Penalty units are defined in section 4AA of the Crimes Act 1914.

For the person to be guilty:

the person must have entered into an agreement with one or more other persons; and

the person and at least one other party to the agreement must have intended that an offence would be committed pursuant to the agreement; and

the person or at least one other party to the agreement must have committed an overt act pursuant to the agreement.

Subsection (2) has effect subject to subsection (7A).

A person may be found guilty of conspiracy to commit an offence even if:

committing the offence is impossible; or

the only other party to the agreement is a body corporate; or

each other party to the agreement is at least one of the following:

a person who is not criminally responsible;

a person for whose benefit or protection the offence exists; or

subject to paragraph (4)(a), all other parties to the agreement have been acquitted of the conspiracy.

A person cannot be found guilty of conspiracy to commit an offence if:

all other parties to the agreement have been acquitted of the conspiracy and a finding of guilt would be inconsistent with their acquittal; or

he or she is a person for whose benefit or protection the offence exists.

A person cannot be found guilty of conspiracy to commit an offence if, before the commission of an overt act pursuant to the agreement, the person:

withdrew from the agreement; and

took all reasonable steps to prevent the commission of the offence.

A court may dismiss a charge of conspiracy if it thinks that the interests of justice require it to do so.

Any defences, procedures, limitations or qualifying provisions that apply to an offence apply also to the offence of conspiracy to commit that offence.

Any special liability provisions that apply to an offence apply also to the offence of conspiracy to commit that offence.

Proceedings for an offence of conspiracy must not be commenced without the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions. However, a person may be arrested for, charged with, or remanded in custody or on bail in connection with, an offence of conspiracy before the necessary consent has been given.