SENTENCE INDICATION SCHEME EASES VICTIMS’ BURDEN
Source: Victoria. Attorney General. Media Release
"Victoria’s sentence indication scheme, which allows courts to indicate whether defendants are likely to be jailed if they plead guilty before trial, is likely to become a permanent feature of the criminal justice system, Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Rob Hulls announced. Mr Hulls said the Sentencing Advisory Council had recommended the scheme be adopted permanently to encourage early guilty pleas and avoid the trauma of criminal trials on victims and victims’ families.“While trials before a judge and jury are a fundamental part of our criminal justice system, they can be a heavy burden for victims of crime and their families to endure,” Mr Hulls said.“The sentence indication scheme has provided the justice system with more options by encouraging defendants to plead guilty at the earliest possible opportunity and avoid a trial. A judge’s indication before trial that a custodial sentence is unlikely provides defendants another opportunity to plead guilty and encourages them to accept the responsibility of their crimes.”