Pleas and sentencing: Practice guide
Course Overview
Most criminal proceedings result in a defendant pleading guilty. Your role as a lawyer acting for a client charged with a criminal offence is to:
- advise as to the appropriate plea – guilty or not guilty; and
- if the client decides to plead guilty, prepare and present evidence and submissions in court to obtain the most lenient and most appropriate sentence for your client.
To provide effective representation for your client on sentence, you must have an appreciation of:
- the role of the court;
- the sentencing attitude of the judicial officer;
- the sentencing criteria that are important; and
- the most effective way to present relevant material and make submissions.
This course will take you through 5 modules exploring:
- Pleas and sentencing
- Sentencing options
- Relevant factors
- Court procedure
- Driving offences
At the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Apply knowledge of sentencing principles and plea of guilty
- Follow pleas and sentencing procedure in the Local Court; and
- Determine the best sentencing option for a drink driving plea
The course contains content that falls within the mandatory CPD category of Professional Skills.
Course Structure
- Pleas and sentencing
- Sentencing options
- Relevant factors
- Court procedure
- Driving offences
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Frequently Asked Questions
The course contains content that falls within the mandatory CPD category of:
- Professional skills
With our online on-demand interactive courses, you can learn when and where it suits you. We’ve designed each course to provide both education and enjoyment.
Each course offers a mix of engaging exercises, where you’ll gain access to:
- Interactive activities to challenge your understanding and put your knowledge to the test. You’ll also enjoy engaging exercises, such as flip cards, quizzes and drafting activities.
- Clearly identified outcomes so you know precisely what you’ll learn – and the skills you’ll gain. You’ll also be able to track your development and focus on key improvement areas.
- Extended course access so you can reference the material as you need – or revisit it should life get in the way.
- Feedback and template answers so you can refine your skills, grow your knowledge and gain fresh insights.
Access each module on the College’s learning portal. When you buy a single, you’ll have 24/7 unlimited access for 12-months from the date of purchase.
Does this educational activity extend your knowledge and skills in areas that are relevant to your practice needs or professional development?
If so, and you’re not a WA practitioner, you should claim 1 unit for each hour of participation, not including breaks.
Please check your local CPD rules for any caps on activity types, such as the private study of non-interactive audio/visual materials. You are responsible for keeping your own CPD records and complying with your local CPD rules.
No. Western Australian practitioners who complete our on-demand courses are currently unable to claim CPD points.
However, you may earn CPD points by attending select live CPD events or by completing select CPD Interactive modules.