Victorian Current Acts Victorian Current ActsS. 18ZQ(1) amended by Nos 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.20 (a)), 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(1) If the Drug Court is considering making a drug and alcohol treatment order at any stage after an accused has indicated an intention to plead guilty to an offence, or has pleaded guilty to an offence, it must—
S. 18ZQ(1)(a) amended by Nos 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.20 (b)), 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(a) order a drug and alcohol treatment order assessment report on the accused; and
(b) adjourn the proceeding to enable the report to be prepared by a specified Drug Court officer.
S. 18ZQ(2) amended by No. 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(2) The purpose of a drug and alcohol treatment order assessment report is—
S. 18ZQ(2)(a) amended by Nos 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.21), 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(a) to establish whether the accused is a suitable person to be subject to a drug and alcohol treatment order; and
(b) if so—
S. 18ZQ (2)(b)(i) amended by No. 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.21).
(i) to prepare a case management plan for the accused; and
(ii) to establish whether the facilities necessary to implement that plan exist and, if so, to identify those facilities; and
S. 18ZQ (2)(b)(iii) amended by Nos 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.21), 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(iii) to make recommendations to the Drug Court on the program conditions that should be attached to a drug and alcohol treatment order in respect of the accused.
S. 18ZQ(3) amended by No. 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.22).
(3) If the Drug Court grants an accused bail on an adjournment under subsection (1) it must, for the purpose of facilitating the preparation of the report, impose a condition of bail requiring the accused to—
(a) report to the specified Drug Court officer, or other specified person or body, within a specified period; and
(b) comply with any further reporting requirements imposed by that officer, person or body.
S. 18ZQ(4) substituted by No. 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.23), amended by No. 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(4) A drug and alcohol treatment order assessment report may set out all or any of the following matters which, on investigation, appear to the specified Drug Court officer to be relevant to the assessment of the accused and are readily ascertainable by the officer—
(a) the age of the accused;
(b) the social history and background of the accused;
(c) the medical and psychiatric history of the accused, including details of any treatment the accused has undergone for drug or alcohol dependency;
(d) the educational background of the accused;
(e) the employment history of the accused;
(f) the circumstances of any other offences of which the accused has been found guilty;
(g) the extent to which the accused—
(i) has complied with any sentence that is no longer in force in respect of the accused; and
(ii) is complying with any sentence currently in force in respect of the accused;
(h) the financial circumstances of the accused;
(i) the housing history and needs of the accused;
(j) any special needs of the accused;
(k) any course, program, treatment, therapy or other assistance that could be available to the offender and from which he or she may benefit.
S. 18ZQ(5) amended by No. 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.24).
(5) The specified Drug Court officer must include in the report any other matter relevant to the accused which the Drug Court has directed to be set out in the report.
(6) The report must be filed with the Drug Court no later than the time directed by the Court.
S. 18ZQ(7) amended by No. 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(7) Within a reasonable time after the report is filed and before a drug and alcohol treatment order is made, the specified Drug Court officer must provide a copy of the report to—
(a) the prosecutor; and
S. 18ZQ(7)(b) amended by No. 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.25).
(b) the legal practitioner of the accused; and
S. 18ZQ(7)(c) amended by No. 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.26).
(c) if the Drug Court directs the officer to do so, the accused.
S. 18ZQ(8) amended by No. 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(8) The prosecution or defence may file with the Drug Court a notice of intention to dispute all or any part of a drug and alcohol treatment order assessment report.
S. 18ZQ(9) amended by No. 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(9) If a notice is filed before a drug and alcohol treatment order is made, the Drug Court must not take the disputed report or disputed part of the report into consideration when making the order unless the party that filed the notice has been given the opportunity—
(a) to lead evidence on the disputed matters; and
(b) to cross-examine the specified Drug Court officer on its contents.
S. 18ZQ(10) amended by Nos 68/2009 s. 97(Sch. item 110.27), 65/2016 s. 8, 43/2020 s. 29(2).
(10) For the purposes of section 104ZY of the Corrections Act 1986 , a relevant person referred to in that section who discloses to the specified Drug Court officer information about the accused for the purposes of the preparation of a drug and alcohol treatment order assessment report is taken to be performing his or her official duties.
S. 18ZR (Heading) amended by No. 43/2020 s. 30(1).
S. 18ZR inserted by No. 2/2002 s. 5.