Hon. Charles Smith's question regarding sentencing for drug trafficking offences over the past 10 years could not be answered due to limitations in data recording and the definition of 'drug trafficking' within the Misuse of Drugs Act 1981 (WA).

AnsweredQoN 50Legislative Council
Asked
13 June 2017
Portfolio
Attorney General

QuestionView source ↗

Can the Minister please advise the House:
(a) on the number of convicted drug traffickers over the last 10 years who have been given the available maximum custodial term; and
(b) what the average custodial sentence has been over the last 10 years for a drug trafficking conviction?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
15 August 2017
Responded by
Leader of the House representing the Attorney General
Response time
9 days
(a)–(b) This information is unable to be provided, as it would require manual perusal of all relevant hard copy files over the 10 year period. The
Misuse of Drugs Act 1981
(WA) does not contain an offence specifically for ‘drug trafficking’. Schedule VII of the Act only lists the amounts of specific prohibited drugs for the purposes of drug trafficking. The electronic court database does not contain information about both the amount and type of drug involved in an offence, and as such it is not possible to search for section 6(1) offences which meet the ‘drug trafficking’ requirements as stated in Schedule VII.

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