Text as at 15 April 2026

This provision has not been checked by a human. The text below was read automatically from the official PDF and has not yet been verified against it, so it may differ from the provision as published — in its wording, its numbering, or where one provision ends and the next begins. For the authorised text, see legislation.vic.gov.au.

18A Indefinite sentence

(1)If a person (other than a young person) is convicted by the Supreme Court or the County Court of a serious offence, the court may sentence him or her to an indefinite term of imprisonment.

(2)A court must not fix a non-parole period in respect of an indefinite sentence.

(3)The court must specify in the order imposing an indefinite sentence a nominal sentence of a period equal in length to the non-parole period that it would have fixed had the court sentenced the offender to be imprisoned in respect of the serious offence for a fixed term.

(4)An offender serving an indefinite sentence is not eligible to be released on parole.

(5)A court may impose an indefinite sentence—

(a)on its own initiative; or

(b)on an application made by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

(6)A court may impose an indefinite sentence in respect of a serious offence regardless of the maximum penalty prescribed for the offence.

(7)If a court is considering imposing an indefinite sentence on an offender it must also consider whether section 94B applies and, if it considers that it does apply, the court must make a Court Secure Treatment Order under section 94B.

S. 18A(7) substituted by No. 26/2014 s. 432.