Consolidated practice directions

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Background 
1. 
Victim impact statements may be delivered in writing, or, subject to any 
direction of the Presiding Judge, orally by the victim, or by a person 
authorised under the 
Sentencing Act 1995
(WA) (SA) s 24(2) to give a 
victim impact statement on the victim's behalf (an authorised person), 
reading a victim impact statement. 
2. 
In the Supreme Court, the prosecutor provides a copy of the victim 
impact statement to the Court either before or at the sentencing hearing 
and under SA s 26(2) the Court may rule as inadmissible the whole or 
any part of a victim impact statement. While a victim impact statement 
is not subject to the same legislative restrictions on availability as apply 
to pre-sentence and related reports (see SA s 22 and PD 5.6), a victim 
impact statement can be made available by the Court on such conditions 
as it thinks fit (SA s 26(1)). 
Purpose of this Practice Direction 
3. 
The purpose of this Practice Direction is to set out the conditions upon 
which prosecutors and offenders' legal representatives have access to 
victim impact statements. It also seeks to respond to victims' concerns 
about the availability of such statements. The conditions set out in this 
Practice Direction apply unless otherwise ordered by the Presiding 
Judge. 
 
Conditions of access applying to the prosecution 
4. 
If the prosecution proposes that the Court is to give consideration to a 
victim impact statement in determining the proper sentence for the 
offender, the prosecutor must ensure that, where possible prior to the 
sentencing hearing: 
(a) the Court is informed if a victim or an authorised person proposes 
to deliver an oral victim impact statement; 
(b) a hard copy of the written victim impact statement is made 
available to the Court; 

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5. General Division - Criminal 
 
5.11 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
(c) where the offender is represented by a legal practitioner who is: 
(i) in Perth, a hard copy of the written victim impact statement is 
made available to that legal practitioner; or 
(ii) in regional Western Australia, an electronic copy of the written 
victim impact statement is made available to that legal 
practitioner; and 
(d) where an offender is not represented by a legal practitioner, a copy 
of the victim impact statement is to be made available for 
inspection by the offender.