Pleading Guilty to an Offence in the County or Supreme Court

Filing Hearing / Bail Application

• Dates set for service of brief of evidence and for committal mention.
• Discussions with the prosecution.
• First opportunity to make a bail application or bail variation.

Committal Mention / Committal Case Conference

• Negotiations take place with police prosecutors and informants about the disputed aspects of a matter.
• This might result in a plea to only some of the charges or amendments to the facts alleged as part of the case.
• Further information or evidence can be requested.
• For a guilty plea, a date will be obtained in the relevant Court.
• Sometimes leave is sought from the Court to cross-examine relevant witnesses to establish the facts of the plea of guilty.
• This stage could involve a sentence indication.

Guilty Plea

• The prosecution present their case.
• Plea in mitigation. Personal history and the circumstances of the offence are presented.
• Submissions are made about legal issues, sentencing considerations and appropriate sentence.
• The Judge may sentence on this date or adjourn for sentencing.

Sentence Hearing

• Often, sentencing will take place on a different date. The Judge wants to consider the information and will often write a long judgement.
• Sometimes the Judge will ask for further submissions on the sentencing date.
• The Judge will make sentencing remarks and deliver a sentence.