Does Pleading Guilty Reduce Your Sentence?

The short answer is yes, a plea of guilty will reduce your sentence. The extent of this reduction will usually depend on a number of factors, the most important of which being at what point in the proceedings you entered your plea of guilty. If you have entered your plea of guilty at the first opportunity, then you will be afforded the full 25% discount on sentence.

When a matter proceeds to a hearing or in the case of more serious offences, a trial, this costs the justice system money and resources to conduct this process. The discount for entering a plea of guilty is to reflect the savings of both money and resources that would have otherwise had to be spent to finalise your matter.

Other Benefits

Another way a plea of guilty can be taken into account by the court is by changing the nature of the sentence to be imposed upon you. For example, a plea of guilty at the earliest stage might make all the difference in the court finalising your matter without proceeding to a criminal conviction.

Local Court and District Court

It should be noted that the discount on sentence is a matter of policy within the Local Court and that there is no legislation providing for such a discount. In matters that are to be heard by the District Court or Supreme Court, strict legislative rules apply under the Early Appropriate Guilty Plea (EAGP) regime.

Sentencing is a very complex area of the law, with many different considerations. This article is merely a guide to how guilty pleas may be taken into account. If you are charged with a criminal offence you should speak to a specialist criminal defence lawyer who can provide you proper advice as to the impact that a plea of guilty can have on your ultimate sentence.