- contributes to the efficiency of the criminal justice system
- reduces the cost of the operation of the criminal justice system
- reduces prosecutors’ workload
- provides an element of certainty for the parties
- guilty plea is a mitigating factor on sentence
- may dispense a traumatised witness from testifying
- may avoid disrupting the professional and personal life of a witness
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- leads to manipulation of the judicial system and compromises legal
and constitutional principles
- encourages abuses of power by prosecutors and judges
- creates a situation in which defence counsel may be tempted to give
precedence to his own interests rather than to the best interests of
the accused
- results in offenders receiving lenient sentences
- increases the risk of wrongful conviction
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- complete and timely disclosure of prosecution’s case
- competent and ethical defence counsel
- prosecutor to initiate plea discussions and communicate best offer
to accused early in the process
- comprehensive knowledge of principles of sentencing and appropriate
ranges of sentences by court, prosecutor and defence
- prosecutor to maintain complete and accurate record of discussions
to promote consistency and transparency
- openness : prosecutor to solicit views of victim and investigative
agency and ensure their understanding of the agreement ; prosecutor
to formally advise the court of the agreement reached
- fairness : agreements to be honoured by the prosecutor
- judicial independence and impartiality
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