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The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) Corporate Plan 2024–28 is now available and aims to guide and connect our strategic themes, as well as annual business and operational planning across our national prosecution practice through to 2028.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) Raelene Sharp KC confirmed that on 1 June 2024, Warren Day will join the CDPP on secondment for 6 months, as the Director’s Executive Officer. 

On 5 March 2024, CDPP staff acknowledged the 40 year anniversary of the Office being established.

The CDPP’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2024-26 is now available.

The CDPP has launched a range of branded cultural elements which were designed by

Federal Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP, today announced the appointment of Ms Raelene Sharp KC as the next Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
The CDPP 2022-23 Annual Report was tabled in Parliament on 18 October 2023.

The CDPP’s Corporate Plan 2023–27 is now available.

Drug Manufacture

Under the Criminal Code, manufacturing a controlled drug for a commercial purpose is an offence.

Manufacturing a controlled drug means any process—other than cultivation—that produces a drug. It includes extracting or refining and the process of transforming a substance into a different substance or drug. A person can also be involved in manufacturing a drug if they exercise control or direction over its manufacture or finance its manufacture.

A person manufactures a substance for a commercial purpose, if they manufacture a drug with the intention of selling it or believing that someone else intends to sell it. As a result manufacturing controlled drugs for personal use is not regulated by the Criminal Code.

Key legislation

Main offences

  • s.305.5 Criminal Code—manufacturing controlled drugs
  • s.308.4(1) Criminal Code—possessing a substance, equipment or instructions for commercial manufacture of controlled drugs.

Penalties

  • The maximum penalty for manufacturing a controlled drug is 10 years’ imprisonment or 12 years for an aggravated offence. The maximum penalty increases to 25 years if it involves a marketable quantity of drugs and life imprisonment for a commercial quantity of drugs
  • An offence against sections 305.4 or 305.5 is aggravated if the commission of the offence exposes a child (under 14 years) to the manufacture of a controlled drug (s.310.4)
  • The maximum penalty for possessing a substance, equipment or instructions for commercial manufacture of controlled drugs is 7 years’ imprisonment.

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Relevant Legislation