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MISUSE OF DRUGS ACT 1981 - SECT 34

34 .         Penalties

        (1A)         In this section —

        trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine means a quantity of methylamphetamine not less than that specified in Schedule VII item 8.

        (1)         Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a person who is convicted of —

            (a)         a crime under section 6(1) that involves a trafficable quantity of methylamphetamine is liable to imprisonment for life; or

            (aa)         any other crime under section 6(1) is liable to a fine not exceeding $100 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 25 years or both; or

            (ab)         a crime under section 7(1) is liable to a fine not exceeding $100 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 25 years or both; or

            (b)         conspiring with another to commit a crime under section 6(1) that does not involve methylamphetamine is liable to a fine not exceeding $75 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years or both; or

            (ba)         conspiring with another to commit a crime under section 7(1) is liable to a fine not exceeding $75 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years or both; or

            (c)         an offence under section 7A(1) is liable —

                  (i)         if convicted on indictment, to a fine not exceeding $20 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or both;

                  (ii)         if convicted by a summary court, to a fine not exceeding $2 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or both;

                or

            (d)         a simple offence under section 5(1) (other than a simple offence under section 5(1)(e)), 8, 20J, 20W, 25(2) or 29 is liable to a fine not exceeding $3 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or both; or

            (e)         a simple offence under section 5(1)(e), 6(2), 7(2), 7A(3) or 31(1) is liable to a fine not exceeding $2 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or both; or

            (f)         a simple offence under section 15(1), (2) or (3), 16(1) or (2), 17(1) or (2), or 18(1) or (2) is liable to a fine not exceeding $5 000 for a first offence and to a fine not exceeding $15 000 for any subsequent offence under the same provision.

        (2)         A person who is convicted of a crime under section 6(1) or 7(1) —

            (a)         being a crime —

                  (i)         relating only to cannabis; and

                  (ii)         not relating to cannabis resin or any other cannabis derivative or to any prohibited drug or a prohibited plant other than cannabis,

                is liable, if sentenced by the District Court or the Supreme Court, to a fine not exceeding $20 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or both; or

            (b)         is liable, if sentenced by a summary court, to a fine not exceeding $5 000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 4 years or both.

        (3)         If a court is sentencing a person for an offence under section 6(1) or 7(1) that involved selling or supplying, or offering to sell or supply, a prohibited drug or a prohibited plant to a child, and the person was an adult when the offence was committed, then, despite the Sentencing Act 1995 Part 5 —

            (a)         for a first offence the court must use one of only these sentencing options —

                  (i)         suspended imprisonment imposed under the Sentencing Act 1995 section 39 and Part 11;

                  (ii)         conditional suspended imprisonment imposed under section 39 and Part 12 of that Act;

                  (iii)         a term of imprisonment imposed under section 39 and Part 13 of that Act;

                and

            (b)         for any subsequent offence (whether or not under the same provision) the court —

                  (i)         must impose a term of imprisonment of at least 6 months; and

                  (ii)         must not suspend the term of imprisonment.

        (4)         If a court is sentencing a person for —

            (a)         an offence under section 6(1)(b); or

            (b)         an offence under section 7(1)(a) that involved cultivating a prohibited plant; or

            (c)         an offence under section 14(1),

                committed in circumstances where the acts constituting the offence endangered the life, health or safety of a child under 16 years of age, and the person was an adult when the offence was committed, then, despite the Sentencing Act 1995 Part 5 —

            (d)         for a first offence the court must use one of only these sentencing options —

                  (i)         suspended imprisonment imposed under the Sentencing Act 1995 section 39 and Part 11;

                  (ii)         conditional suspended imprisonment imposed under section 39 and Part 12 of that Act;

                  (iii)         a term of imprisonment imposed under section 39 and Part 13 of that Act;

                and

            (e)         for any subsequent offence (whether or not under the same provision) the court —

                  (i)         must impose a term of imprisonment of at least 6 months; and

                  (ii)         must not suspend the term of imprisonment.

        (5)         If a court is sentencing a person for —

            (a)         an offence under section 6(1)(b); or

            (b)         an offence under section 7(1)(a) that involved cultivating a prohibited plant; or

            (c)         an offence under section 14(1),

                committed in circumstances where the acts constituting the offence caused bodily harm (as defined in The Criminal Code section 1(1) and (4)) to a child under 16 years of age, and the person was an adult when the offence was committed, then, despite the Sentencing Act 1995 Part 5, the court —

            (d)         must impose a term of imprisonment of at least 12 months; and

            (e)         must not suspend the term of imprisonment.

        (6)         The Minister must carry out a review of the operation and effectiveness of the amendments made to this section by the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Act 2011 section 9 as soon as practicable after the expiry of 3 years from the commencement of that section.

        (7)         The Minister is to lay (or cause to be laid) a report of the review under this section before both Houses of Parliament as soon as practicable after the review is completed.

        [Section 34 amended: No. 44 of 1995 s. 12; No. 52 of 2003 s. 31; No. 4 of 2004 s. 58; No. 62 of 2004 s. 6; No. 56 of 2011 s. 9; No. 55 of 2012 s. 121; No. 47 of 2016 s. 7; No. 3 of 2017 s. 7; No. 16 of 2023 s. 8.]



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