Untitled document

Criminal Procedure and Sentencing Acts Amendment (Victims of Crime) Act 2012

No. 49 of 2012

table of provisions

Section  Page

Part 1—Preliminary

1Purposes

2Commencement

Part 2—Amendment of Criminal Procedure Act 2009

3Rules with respect to statements

4Sentence indication

5Application for sentence indication

Part 3—Amendment of Sentencing Act 1991

6New section 86AA inserted

86AACourt to ask if application for compensation order
will be made

7Compensation order

8New section 146 inserted

146Transitional provision—Criminal Procedure and Sentencing Acts Amendment (Victims of Crime) Act 2012

Part 4—Repeal

9Repeal of amending Act

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Endnotes

Criminal Procedure and Sentencing Acts Amendment (Victims of Crime) Act 2012

No. 49 of 2012

[Assented to 4 September 2012]

The Parliament of Victoria enacts:

Part 1—Preliminary

1Purposes

The purposes of this Act are—

(a)to amend the Criminal Procedure Act 2009 to provide that a court may refuse to give a sentence indication in relation to a person accused of an offence if the court considers there is insufficient information before it of the impact of the offence on any victim of the offence; and

(b)to amend the Sentencing Act 1991 to encourage and facilitate the making of compensation orders by a criminal court in respect of the loss or destruction of, or damage to, property as a result of a criminal offence in clear and simple cases by—

(i)permitting additional evidence of the loss or damage to be given to the court in deciding whether or not to make a compensation order or determining the quantum of compensation; and

(ii)requiring the court to ask whether an application for a compensation order will be made; and

(iii)permitting the court to make a compensation order on its own motion.

2Commencement

(1)Subject to subsection (2), this Act comes into operation on a day or days to be proclaimed.

(2)If a provision of this Act does not come into operation before 31 January 2013, it comes into operation on that day.

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Part 2—Amendment of Criminal Procedure Act 2009

3Rules with respect to statements

In section 47(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2009 for "subsection (5)" substitute

"subsection (3)".

4Sentence indication

At the end of section 60 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2009 insert—

"(2)Without limiting its discretion under subsection (1), the Magistrates' Court may decide not to give a sentence indication under subsection (1) if the Magistrates' Court considers there is insufficient information before it of the impact of the offence on any victim of the offence.

Note

Under section 5(2)(daa) of the Sentencing Act 1991, in sentencing an offender a court must have regard to the impact of the offence on any victim of the offence.".

5Application for sentence indication

After section 208(4) of the Criminal Procedure Act 2009 insert—

"(5)Without limiting subsection (4), the court may refuse to give a sentence indication under section 207 if the court considers there is insufficient information before it of the impact of the offence on any victim of the offence.

Note

Under section 5(2)(daa) of the Sentencing Act 1991, in sentencing an offender a court must have regard to the impact of the offence on any victim of the offence.".

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Part 3—Amendment of Sentencing Act 1991

6New section 86AA inserted

After the heading to Subdivision (2) of Division 2 of Part 4 of the Sentencing Act 1991 insert—

86AACourt to ask if application for compensation order will be made"

(1)If a court finds a person guilty of, or convicts a person of, an offence and evidence is presented in a proceeding for the offence that loss or destruction of, or damage to, property has occurred as a result of the offence, the court must ask the prosecution whether an application will be made for a compensation order under section 86 in respect of the loss, destruction or damage.

(2)To avoid doubt, a person is not prevented from making an application for a compensation order under section 86 merely because the court has not taken the action referred to in subsection (1).".

7Compensation order

(1)For section 86(1) of the Sentencing Act 1991 substitute—

"(1)If a court finds a person guilty of, or convicts a person of, an offence it may order the offender to pay to a person who has suffered loss or destruction of, or damage to, property as a result of the offence any compensation (not exceeding the value of the property lost, destroyed or damaged) that the court thinks fit.

(1A)An order under subsection (1) may be made—

(a)on the application of a person suffering loss or destruction of, or damage to, property as a result of the offence; or

(b)subject to subsection (1B)—on the court's own motion.

(1B)A court may only make an order under subsection (1) on its own motion if—

(a)the person in whose favour the order is to be made does not oppose the order being made; and

(b)the court has given the offender the opportunity to be heard in respect of the order.".

(2)In section 86(5) of the Sentencing Act 1991—

(a)for "order under subsection (1)" substitute "application under subsection (1A)(a)";

(b)in paragraph (a) for "may be made on an application" substitute "must be";

(c)in paragraph (b)—

(i)omit "in favour of a person on an application made";

(ii)in subparagraph (i) for "that person" substitute "the person seeking compensation".

(3)In section 86(7) of the Sentencing Act 1991 for "On an application under this section" substitute "In determining whether or not an order under subsection (1) should be made and, if so, the amount payable under the order".

(4)In section 86(9) of the Sentencing Act 1991—

(a)in paragraph (d) for "sentence." substitute "sentence; or";

(b)after paragraph (d) insert—

"(e)any other documentary evidence acceptable to the court of—

(i)loss or destruction of, or damage to, property suffered by a person as a result of the offence; or

(ii)the amount of the loss suffered or the expense incurred as a result of that destruction or damage.".

8New section 146 inserted

At the end of Part 12 of the Sentencing Act 1991 insert—

146Transitional provision—Criminal Procedure and Sentencing Acts Amendment (Victims of Crime)
Act 2012"

(1)Section 86AA applies in relation to an offence for which the hearing of the charge commenced on or after the commencement of section 6 of the Criminal Procedure and Sentencing Acts Amendment (Victims of Crime) Act 2012 irrespective of when the offence was committed or the proceeding for the offence commenced.

(2)Section 86 as amended by section 7 of the Criminal Procedure and Sentencing Acts Amendment (Victims of Crime) Act 2012 applies in relation to an offence for which the hearing of the charge commenced on or after the commencement of section 7 of that Act irrespective of when the offence was committed or the proceeding for the offence commenced.".

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Part 4—Repeal

9Repeal of amending Act

This Act is repealed on 31 January 2014.

Note

The repeal of this Act does not affect the continuing operation of the amendments made by it (see section 15(1) of the Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984).

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Endnotes

Minister's second reading speech—

Legislative Assembly: 21 June 2012

Legislative Council: 16 August 2012

The long title for the Bill for this Act was "A Bill for an Act to amend the Criminal Procedure Act 2009 and the Sentencing Act 1991 and for other purposes."