Consolidated practice directions

Self-represented parties' access to PSRs 
9. 
Self-represented parties may read PSRs on the day of the relevant 
hearing by arrangement with the Associate to the Presiding Judge. 
General Directions 
10. Any request for access to a PSR on terms other than those provided in 
this Practice Direction should be made to the Associate to the Judge 
presiding at the relevant hearing or, in the case of an appeal, to the 
Court of Appeal Office. 
11. Only one copy of a PSR sent by email or other electronic means may be 
printed. 
12. A PSR in a sealed envelope may be collected from the Court by the 
practitioner who has filed a notice of acting for the relevant offender or 
by an agent for the practitioner. If an agent for a practitioner collects the 
sealed envelope he or she must provide their name and relationship to 
the practitioner to the Court, if requested, and is not to open the 
envelope and must deliver it personally to the practitioner. 
13. A PSR is to be retained in the possession of (relevantly): 
(a) the file manager or sentencing counsel of the prosecutor; or 
(b) a legal practitioner who has filed a notice of acting on behalf of the 
offender. 

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5. General Division - Criminal 
 
 
PD 5.6 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
14. A practitioner who has possession of a PSR: 
(a) is to take appropriate steps to ensure that the contents of the PSR 
remain confidential; 
(b) is not to disclose the contents of the PSR to any person other than 
the offender, if the practitioner is his or her lawyer, or, in the case 
of the prosecutor, another officer of the prosecutor engaged in the 
matter; and 
(c) is not to use the PSR for any purpose other than the purpose of 
making submissions at the sentencing of the offender or, if the PSR 
is obtained in an appeal, other than for the purpose of making 
submissions in the appeal. 
15. Where a legal practitioner ceases to act for an offender prior to the 
relevant hearing, the practitioner is to: 
(a) return the hard copy of any PSR about the offender to the Court 
(in a sealed envelope marked for the attention of the Associate to 
the Presiding Judge only) with the notice of ceasing to act; and 
(b) delete any electronic copies of the PSR. 
16. At the conclusion of the relevant hearing counsel appearing for the 
prosecutor and the offender or the appellant and respondent are each to: 
(a) hand their respective copies of the PSR to the Associate of the 
Presiding Judge; and 
(b) delete any electronic copies of the PSR. 
This direction applies even if the prosecutor or the offender wishes to 
consider commencing an appeal or a further appeal in relation to the 
sentence. 

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5. General Division - Criminal 
 
 
PD 5.6 
Supreme Court of Western Australia 
Consolidated Practice Direction
5.6.1.1.
Undertaking of Confidentiality