Consolidated practice directions

Summary of Preliminary Findings
should NOT be used for Court purposes. As this 
Summary of Preliminary Findings has been prepared before the conclusion of the full 
laboratory processes and peer review, it may be necessary to modify this opinion.
To ensure that a Forensic Biology report is available for trial proceedings, all 
Exhibits
and 
Evidentiary
DNA Samples
must be submitted for testing through Forensic Analysis 
Co-ordination Team (FACT), 
at least twelve weeks prior
to the trial. Please quote the 
Forensic Biology Case Number listed above.

Forensic Scientist
Forensic Biology

Original: 
DPP 
Copy: 
DPP / IIO 
NATA Accredited Forensic Testing Laboratory Number: XXXXX.
This document Is Issued In accordance with NATA'S accreditation requirements.
Accredited for compliance with ISO/IEC 17025.
This document shall not be reproduced except In full.
 
NATA 
Page 1/1

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5. General Division - Criminal 
 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
5.3
Protocol for Voluntary Criminal Case Conferencing 
___________________________________________________________ 
1. 
The Supreme Court of Western Australia will make the services of a 
Registrar or external facilitator available for voluntary criminal case 
conferencing (VCCC) of any of its indictable matters, whether before or 
after filing of the indictment. VCCC may occur in the period prior to the 
committal of an accused under s 44 of the 
Criminal Procedure Act 2004
(WA) and/or, if the matter is committed for trial, it may occur at any 
time after committal and before trial. 
2. 
A Registrar of the Court will only be the VCCC facilitator for a case if it 
has been committed to the Supreme Court. This ensures that there is no 
potential for a conflict between the roles of Registrars sitting as 
Magistrates in the Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court and Registrars 
acting as facilitators for VCCC. A VCCC facilitated by a Registrar of the 
Court will also have case management objectives. 
3. 
VCCC can only occur with the consent of all parties, and the consent of 
an accused is not valid unless he or she has first received a copy of this 
Protocol. 
4. 
It can be assumed that the Commonwealth DPP will always consent to 
VCCC of any matter that it prosecutes. A similar assumption can be 
made in respect of the State DPP, but subject to its obligation to consult 
secondary victims in all murder cases. 
5. 
An accused can initiate VCCC by way of a request to the Judge in charge 
of the criminal list. The prospects for VCCC can be canvassed at any 
stage of proceedings when an accused appears before a Magistrate in 
Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court or a Supreme Court Judge.
6. 
In any event, either at the first appearance of an accused in the Supreme 
Court or at the first status conference of a criminal matter in the 
Supreme Court, the presiding judge will ask the parties whether they 
agree to the matter being referred for VCCC. The parties should have 
considered this issue and be in a position to advise the presiding judge 
of their attitude. 

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5. General Division - Criminal 
 
PD 5.3 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
7. 
VCCC conferences (whether before or after presentation of the 
indictment) will ordinarily take place in Court No 9 in the Stirling 
Gardens Supreme Court building. Counsel and/or the accused may be 
present by video link. The attendance of an accused is at the option of 
the defence. The Court encourages the prosecution to arrange for the 
officer in charge of the investigation to be present, if it may facilitate the 
resolution of an issue between the parties. 
8. 
If the accused person is in custody and defence counsel requires the 
accused to appear by video link, defence counsel is to advise the Listings 
Supervisor in writing not less than seven (7) business days prior to the 
mediation to enable the Court to arrange the video link.
9. 
Prior to the conference a party should comply with any request by the 
Court officer for the supply of copies of any evidentiary or confessional 
materials in its, his or her possession, which the Court is still to receive 
pursuant to s 44(2) of the