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Lionel Rattenbury
Criminal Defence Lawyer


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Murder / Manslaughter Offences - NSW
Welcome to the NSW Manslaughter article page. Everything you need to know about Manslaughter according to NSW law - Dated: 01/09/2009

What the Law States according to NSW Law for Manslaughter
According to NSW Law for the charge of Manslaughter,

On the police facts sheet and the court attendance notice that you may have received you will have a reference to the law part and a short description of offence. These references help the court and the legal profession to identify the exact offence you have been charged with. The law part and short description for this offence are set out in the table below:

Law Part Short Description
64908 Murder (DV)-SI
2 Murder-SI
64909 Manslaughter (DV)-SI
3 Manslaughter-SI
10 Punishment for manslaughter

The Maximum Penalty - Manslaughter
According to NSW Law for the charge of Manslaughter,

The maximum penalty for the charge of manslaughter (Section 18, 24 of the Crimes Act) is 25 years imprisonment.

In NSW, a court can impose any of the following penalties for a manslaughter charge.

You’ll find a brief description of each of these penalties at the bottom of this page.

Likely Penalty

Supreme Court

Based on our experience and statistics from the Judicial Commission of New South Wales we believe that the penalty in a case that is within the mid range of seriousness for the offence of manslaughter, if heard in the Supreme Court, is likely to be imprisonment for a period of 7 years.

For first time offenders the likely penalty is imprisonment for a period of 6 years.

What the Police must prove according to NSW Law for Manslaughter

To convict you of a manslaughter charge, the police must prove each of the following matters beyond a reasonable doubt:

  1. A homicide without the intent to kill, or a homicide without reckless indifference to human life.

They will also need to prove that you were the person who committed the manslaughter offence.

Possible Defences under NSW Law - Manslaughter

Possible defences to a manslaughter charge include but are not limited to:

In NSW which court will hear the matter - Manslaughter

This matter is strictly indictable which means that it can only be finalised in the Supreme Court.

Section 10 for a manslaughter charge: avoiding a criminal record. Normally, when you plead guilty to a criminal offence, the court imposes a penalty and records a conviction. If the court records a conviction, you will have a criminal record. However, if we can convince the court not to convict you, there will be no penalty of any type and no criminal record. In all criminal cases, the court has the discretion not to convict you, but to give you a Section 10 dismissal instead. Read more.

Fines for a manslaughter charge: When deciding the amount of a fine for a manslaughter charge the magistrate or judge should consider your financial situation and your ability to pay any fine they set. Read more.

Good behaviour bond for a manslaughter charge: This is an order of the court that requires you to be of good behaviour for a specified period of time. The court will impose conditions that you will have to obey during the term of the good behaviour bond. The maximum duration of a good behaviour bond is five years. Read more.

Community service order for a manslaughter charge (CSO): This involves either unpaid work in the community at a place specified by probation and parole or attendance at a centre to undertake a course, such as anger management. In order to be eligible for a CSO you have to be assessed by an officer of the probation service as suitable to undertake the order. Read more.

Suspended sentence for a manslaughter charge: This is a jail sentence that is suspended upon you entering into a good behaviour bond. Provided the terms of the good behaviour bond are obeyed the jail sentence will not come into effect. A suspended sentence is only available for sentences of imprisonment of up to two years. Read more.

Periodic detention for a manslaughter charge (commonly known as weekend detention): This form of imprisonment ceased to be a sentencing option in October 2010.

Intensive correction order for a manslaughter charge (ICO): This option has replaced periodic detention. The court can order you to comply with a number of conditions, such as attending counselling or treatment, not consuming alcohol, complying with a curfew and performing community service. Read more.

Jail for a manslaughter charge: This is the most serious penalty for a manslaughter charge and involves full time detention in a correctional facility. Read more.

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