Magistrate Jackie Hartnett, Magistrates Court of Tasmania
Pip Monk and Brittany Clark, Tasmania Legal Aid
Law Society of Tasmania
Criminal Law Conference 2023
MagistrateJackieHartnett
MagistratesCourtofTasmania
AnonexhaustivechecklistCreateyourown
Legislativerequirements-i.e.mandatorypenaltiesor disqualifications,isitCommonwealthoffence,CommunityProtection (OffenderReporting)Act,compensationorders,Familyviolence order?
Factualbasis:seriousnessoftheoffence
Statutorypenalty
Circumstancesoftheoffencepremeditatedornotplanned, weapon,incompanyinpublic,didtheyvoluntarilydesist,racial motivations,sexualoffences(s.11A&BSentencingAct,Family ViolenceActs.13)
Vulnerabilityofvictim
Factorspersonaltotheoffender
Ageoldage,youth
Familybackground
Educationalhistory
Workhistory
Relationships
Dependants
Healthissues(includingmentalhealth-Verdinsorcontext)
Substanceabuseissues
Sentencingobjectivesenlivened
Criminalresponsibilityculpability
Explanationfortheoffending
Factorsinmitigation
Pleaofguilty
Lackofpriorconvictions
Cooperation
Remorse
Aggravatingfeaturesoftheoffence
Offence
Offenderpositionoftrust,onbail
Otherconsiderationstotality,parity,hardshiptoothers
Effectofoffence/sanction
Pre-sentencecustody
Comparablesentencesorauthoritiesinthearea
Areanoftenoverlookedorunder-donepartofcriminalpractice,butanincredibly importantpartofyourdailyworkasacriminallawyer.Theeffortyouasapractitioner putintoapleainthisjurisdictioncanmakeamassivedifferencetotheoutcomefor yourclient,asthecriminaloffencesinvolvedarefarmorelikelytoputsomeoneatthe edgeofaconviction,ortheedgeofactualimprisonmentcomparedtotheSupreme Courtwhereoftenapleaisnotaboutwhetherimprisonmentwillbeimposedbuthow longwilltheclientserve.
Youmustbeinapositiontoproviderealisticadvicetoyourclientsaboutthepotential outcomes,andwhatcanbeachievedinthesentencingprocess.Havingarealisticidea aboutthesentencingoutcomealsoassistsyoutoprepareaplea,asnotallpleasare goingtorequirethesamepreparationanddepth.
Thestakesforeachclientaredifferent,andyouneedtobeabletoidentifythose mattersthatarehighstakesconvictionornot?Imprisonmentornot?Andutilisethe busyCourttimeforthemattersthatneedit.
Knowingwherethesentencingrangeis,andaimingfora particularsentencingoutcome.
BeingupfrontwiththesentencingMagistrateaboutwhere yoursubmissionsaredirected.
KnowyourbenchsomeMagistratesappreciatethis,and othersperhapsnotasmuch.
Anadvocateisnotamouthpiecefortheirclientthisappliesbothwhen providingadvicetoclientsandalsoinCourt.Youmustbeabletogiveclients worsethanaclientexpectingaparticularoutcomebasedontheadvicethey havebeengiven,andthenbeingsentencedinawaythatwasentirelythe oppositeofwhattheywereexpecting.
Criminaldefendantarepeopletheyareoftenanxious,andinanunfamiliar andterrifying(forsome)environment.Theyhavetosittherelisteningto someonetheybarelyknowtalkforthemandaboutthem,andlistentothese backandforthexchangeswiththeMagistratewithverylittlepower.Yourjob asanadvocateistomanagetheirexpectations.
Anexampleofthismightbewherealawyerispitchingforas7F(an undertakingtobeofgoodbehaviour,eitherwithorwithoutconviction)and theMagistrateisconsideringactualimprisonment.Twosentencesatopposite endsofthespectrumandtheclientissittingthereallofasuddenlistening topeoplediscusswhethertheyshouldgotojailthatdaywhentheyweretold theycouldgetanundertaking.
MagistratesCourtsentencingcommentsarerarelypublished,andSAC
Yougainthisknowledgeovertime,butthebesttimetolearniswhen afteryouradjournmentisgranted,stickaroundandwatchwhat happens.
Askotherlawyerswhattheyhave thesearethebestonesto watch.
Violencematters,andwhenaskingforasentencewithoutconviction. FamilyViolenceitisfarrarernowtoachievewithoutconvictionin FamilyViolencemattersthanitwas5yearsago,evenforfirst offenders.Itisnotoutofthequestion,butitisnotascommonplace asitusedtobe.
partnotnecessarilytheotherpart(undertaking/fine/CCO).Use theseoptionsinyourpitchtobalancetheimpactofanoconviction order.
Ifanactualtermofimprisonmentwasnotonyourradar, anditisclearlyontheMagistratesradarseekan adjournmenttomakefurthersubmissions.
Thiscanhappentoeveryone.Commonwealthsentencing example.
Fallonyoursword.
Isamatterofpersonalpreference.WithMagistratesthatI appearinfrontofregularly,Iwilloftenstartapleawith
sentencingoutcomethatdoesnotseeMsXreceivea
BrittanyClark
TasmaniaLegalAid
Doestheevidencesupportthecharges?
Whatpleaisappropriate?
Aretheelementsoftheoffencesatisfied?
Isthereamoreappropriatecharge?
Isthereadefence?
Arethereanydisputesandwhatdotheymeantotheplea?
SettlingtheProsecutionFacts
Arethefactsfairandreasonable?
Sentencingrange?
Whatisrequiredtoaddressthesentencingconsiderations?
Isanycollateralinformationrequired?
2020
22Independenceavoidanceofpersonalbias(ASCR17)
(1)Asolicitorrepresentingaclientinamatterthatisbeforethecourtmustnotactasthemere mouthpieceoftheclientoroftheinstructingsolicitor(ifany)andmustexercisetheforensic judgmentscalledforduringthecaseindependently,aftertheappropriateconsiderationof
(2)
bychoosing,contrarytothoseinstructions,toexercisetheforensicjudgmentscalledfor duringthecasesoasto
(a)confineanyhearingtothoseissueswhichthesolicitorbelievestobetherealissues;or advancement;or
Apleaofguiltyisanadmissiontothelegalingredientsoftheoffence, nottheparticulars.
SeeRvOlbrich(1999)CLR270at[4];MarlowvTheQueen[1990] TasR1at17;ParkervTasmania[2019]TASCCA16at[4]
Anyfactsorparticularsonwhichadefendantistobesentencedmust beeitherprovedtotherequisitestandardoragreed.
SeeRvOlbrich
Whatistherequisitestandard?
Whatarethedisputes?
Aretheymaterial?
Whatistheevidenceinrelationtoeachversion?
Howmaterialisthedispute?
Prosandconsofraisingadispute
NegotiatingaDispute
Howtoraiseadisputewithprosecution Inwriting
withthedisputedfactandanycogentevidencetothe contrary.
Considertiming
SigantovTheQueen(1998)194CLR656at[22]GleesonCJ,Gummow,Hayne andCallinanJJsaid:
mitigation;first,becauseitisusuallyevidenceofsomeremorseonthe partoftheoffender.,andsecond,onthepragmaticgroundthatthe communityissparedtheexpenseofacontestedtrial.Theextentof
Theutilitarianvalueofthepleacanbeerodedbyadisputeastothefacts thatwasnotdeterminedinfavouroftheoffender.
Otherconsiderations.
Remorse Vindication
Howdotheywork?
Whoproveswhat?
Whatisthetest?
Acourtmaynottakefactsintoaccountinawaythatisadversetotheinterestsof theoffenderunlessthosefactshavebeenestablishedbeyondreasonable doubt:TheQueenvOlbrich(1999)199CLR270at[27][28];LeachvThe Queen(2007)230CLR1at[41];FilippouvTheQueen(2015)89ALJR776;[2015] HCA29at[64],[66];StrbakvTheQueen(2020)267CLR494at[32].
Theoffenderbearstheburdenofprovingonthebalanceofprobabilitiesmatters whichareraisedinmitigation:FilippouvTheQueenat[64],[66];TheQueenv Olbrichat[27][28].
Noteveryfactualdisputeneedstoberesolved.
Ajudgeisnotobligedtoacceptfactseveniftheyareagreedbytheparties:Chow vDirectorofPublicProsecutions(1992)28NSWLR593perKirbyKat606.
WhereaJudgeismindedtosentenceonadifferentbasistheymustgivenoticeto thedefendantasamatterofproceduralfairness:seeParkervTasmania[2019] TASCCA16.