Consolidated practice directions

Criminal Procedure Act 2004 
(WA).
10. In every case in which the State DPP is involved, he will ensure that 
prior to the conference the Court has the complete prosecution brief, the 
indictment (if any), a transcript of any interview between the accused 
and the police (if any) and the accused's prior criminal record (if any), so 
that these documents can be provided to the facilitator/s. This material 
should be provided to the Court no later than five (5) business days 
prior to the date on which the VCCC is to occur. 
11. In order to facilitate the process of VCCC, the parties are also 
encouraged to take the following additional steps: 
(a) the prosecution should serve on the accused and bring along to 
the conference a list of facts forming part of its case that it hopes or 
expects are not seriously in issue; and 
(b) the accused should serve on the prosecution and bring along to 
the conference a list of any formal admissions that he or she may 
be prepared to make. 

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5. General Division - Criminal 
 
PD 5.3 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
12. VCCC conferences will ordinarily commence at 9.00 am and, unless 
prior arrangements have been agreed, take no more than one hour (so 
that counsel may depart for other jurisdictions). During a conference the 
facilitator will seek to identify issues that might be resolved, and to 
discuss generally with the parties the future conduct of the case. 
13. The purpose of a VCCC conference is to reach agreement, where 
possible, in respect of any aspects of the criminal trial process. It may 
include discussion about: 
(a) the strength of the prosecution case; 
(b) whether the current charge reflects the evidence in the prosecution 
brief; 
(c) the real matters in issue;
(d) whether agreement may be reached about matters which are not 
in issue; and 
(e) any matters relevant to case management. 
14. To facilitate a meaningful discussion about these issues the following 
principles and rules apply to each conference: 
(a) An accused's participation in the conference is not to be taken as 
an indication of any intention to plead guilty. 
(b) A person present at a conference may draw the attention of the 
accused to options that are open to him or her, including the 
option of a plea or pleas of guilty, and the considerations that 
should be taken into account in evaluating those options. 
However the accused shall not otherwise be subjected to any 
pressure (directly or indirectly) to plead guilty during the course 
of or as a result of the conference. 
(c) Any agreement by an accused, at the conference, to plead guilty to 
a charge does not inhibit in any way his or her right to enter a plea 
of not guilty should he or she change his or her mind after the 
conference and before entering a plea. However in that event it 
would be open to the prosecution to reconsider any other aspects 
of any agreement reached at the conference. 

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5. General Division - Criminal 
 
PD 5.3 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
(d) The conference does not form part of the trial process. No record 
of the proceedings will become part of any Court file.
(e) A report as to the outcome of the conference will be made by the 
facilitator to the Judge in charge of the criminal list. Where the 
objectives of the conference include case management, a case 
management report will be made to the Judge in charge of the 
criminal list. The report summarises the matters agreed.
(f) 
Nothing an accused says during a conference or that is said on his 
or her behalf during a conference may be used against him or her 
in court in the criminal proceedings to which the conference 
relates or in any related criminal proceedings (other than in a trial 
for a criminal offence which is allegedly committed during a 
conference by a person present at the conference). Participation by 
the prosecution is conditional upon it agreeing that nothing said 
by an accused or any person on the accused's behalf at the 
conference may be tendered in evidence at the accused's trial on 
the charge or charges arising out of the matter the subject of the 
conference. 
(g) A party or lawyer present at the conference may use information 
obtained in the course of a conference to prepare their or their 
client's, case for trial. This may include disclosing that information 
to another person. If an accused person does not wish the 
prosecution to know his or her defence or to investigate his or her 
defence before trial, the accused and/or his or her lawyer should 
ensure that it is not disclosed during the course of a conference. 
(h) Whilst the court encourages frank discussions during a 
conference, there is no obligation on a party to disclose privileged 
or confidential information at a conference.

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5. General Division - Criminal 
 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
5.4
Applications under the 
Criminal Procedure Act 
2004
, s 138 and the 
Criminal Procedure Rules 2005
, 
r 22