(1) When required to do so by a court, the chief executive must prepare a
pre-sentence report for the court about a stated person convicted of an
offence.
(2) A pre-sentence report may, for example, state the person’s
criminal or traffic history obtained under section 342or 343.
(3) If the
court proposes to grant bail to the person, the court must order the person to
report to the chief executive within a stated time.
(4) The pre-sentence
report must be—
(a) given to the court within 28 days; and
(b) if the
report is in writing, given in triplicate.
(5) The court must give a copy of
a pre-sentence report to—
(a) the prosecution; and
(b) the convicted
person’s lawyers.
(6) The court must ensure the prosecution and lawyers
have sufficient time before the proceedings to consider and respond to the
report.
(7) The court may order that the report, or part of the report, not
be shown to the convicted person.
(8) The copy of the report must be returned
to the court before the end of the proceedings.
(9) A report purporting to be
a pre-sentence report made by the chief executive is evidence of the matters
contained in it.
(10) An objection must not be taken or allowed to the
evidence on the ground that it is hearsay.
