R (Cth) v Nguyen; R (Cth) v Nguyen [2010] NSWCCA 331

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal

CITATION: R (Cth) v Nguyen; R (Cth) v Nguyen [2010] NSWCCA 331

HEARING DATE(S): 14 December 2010

JUDGMENT DATE: 21 December 2010

JUDGMENT OF: Simpson J at 1; Hall J at 74; Garling J at 75

DECISION: Crown appeal dismissed.

CATCHWORDS: CRIMINAL LAW – particular offences – drug offences – conspiracy to traffic marketable quantity of controlled drug (heroin and methamphetamine) – conspiracy to money launder - CRIMINAL LAW – Crown appeal – asserted manifest inadequacy – no error of principle or fact – whether sentence unreasonable or plainly unjust – nature of offence – conspiracy – comparable sentencing of other individuals involved in syndicate – role of offenders – no error in assessment by sentencing judge – parity principles not available to increase sentence – Crown appeal dismissed - CRIMINAL LAW – sentence – sentencing procedure – sentencing statistics – applicable range of sentences – consideration of comparable offences – comparable sentences under Commonwealth law – comparable sentences under state law – appropriate basis for comparison

Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) LEGISLATION CITED: Criminal Appeal Act 1912 Criminal Code Act 1995 Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985

CATEGORY: Principal judgment

Carroll v The Queen [2009] HCA 13 Dinsdale v The Queen [2000] HCA 54; 202 CLR 321 Hili v The Queen; Jones v The Queen [2010] HCA 45 House v The King [1936] HCA 40; 55 CLR 499 Le v R (Cth) [2010] NSWCCA 285 Lowe v The Queen [1984] HCA 46; 154 CLR 606 CASES CITED : Nguyen v R [2010] NSWCCA 132 Postiglione v The Queen [1997] HCA 26; 189 CLR 295 R (Cth) v Cheung; R (Cth) v Choi [2010] NSWCCA 244 R v Guo [2010] NSWCCA 170 R v Li; Li v R [2010] NSWCCA 125 R v Nguyen [2005] NSWCCA 362; 157 A Crim R 80 Steer v R [2000] FCA 462; 171 ALR 463 Tyler v The Queen; R v Chalmers [2007] NSWCCA 247; 173 A Crim R 458