Latest News

The CDPP Sydney office is now located at 52 World Square, 52 Goulburn Street, Sydney, NSW.  

Physical access to the offices is via reception on Level 19. 

Telephone numbers, email addresses and postal address remain the same: 

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.

Importing and Exporting Drugs or Precursors

Serious drug offences, particularly importations, are rarely committed by one person. In most cases they involve multiple players working at different levels and in different ways.

As a result, we often have to rely on extension of criminal liability provisions involving conspiracy, joint commission or accessorial liability in order to prosecute all those involved in an importation.

Prosecuting drug importation offences are a major part of our work and attract some of the highest penalties imposed by courts.

Key legislation

Main offences

  • s.307.1(1) Criminal Code—importing commercial quantities of border controlled drugs or plants
  • s.307.11(1) Criminal Code—importing commercial quantities of border controlled precursors.

Penalties

The maximum penalties for importing/exporting border controlled drug offences are:

  • Life imprisonment for s.307.1 Criminal Code—importing/exporting commercial quantity of border controlled drugs/plants
  • 25 years’ imprisonment for s.307.2 Criminal Code—importing/exporting marketable quantity of border controlled drugs/plants
  • 10 years’ imprisonment for s.307.3 Criminal Code—importing/exporting border controlled drugs.

The maximum penalties for importing/exporting border controlled precursors are:

  • 25 years’ for imprisonment s.307.11 Criminal Code—importing/exporting commercial quantity of border controlled precursors
  • 15 years’ imprisonment for s.307.12 Criminal Code—importing/exporting marketable quantity of border controlled precursors
  • 7 years’ imprisonment for s.307.13 Criminal Code – importing/exporting border controlled precursors.

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