If you have committed a criminal offence and your matter has been set down for sentencing, it is easy to fear the worst. However, it is important to remember that in NSW the Legislative Framework makes it possible for judicial officers to impose a range of sentences other than full time imprisonment, these include:

Section 10 Order
Pursuant to section 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW), a court may impose a s10 bond whereby all charges against the Defendant are dismissed. A section 10 Bond is often given conditionally on a Defendant entering into a Good Behaviour Bond.

Bond
A court may rule that a Defendant enter into a good behaviour bond. Such a bond cannot exceed the period of five (5) years and the conditions of the Bond must provide a degree of certainty, and must not be unreasonable. In cases where Defendant’s enter into a Bond they often also receive a fine.

Fine
The Court may require you to pay a sum of money. Fines are generally calculated with reference to ‘penalty units’ with one unit being equal to $110.00. When making an order for the payment of a fine, the court may take the financial circumstances of a defendant into account.

Deferred Sentence
In circumstances where the court has found a defendant guilty of an offence, it is within the courts discretion to defer passing sentence in respect of the matter. This often occurs in order to enable the defendant time to be assessed for, or enter into rehabilitation. A court can defer passing sentence for a period of up to twelve (12) months from the conviction date.

Community Service Orders
A court may at its discretion order that a defendant perform suitable work within the community for a period of up to 500 hours. The court will only adopt this course in circumstances where the defendant has been found by the Community Offender Service to be a suitable person for the purposes of this order.