Form · Criminal Law
Client’s written instructions to plead guilty, with record of advice and acknowledgment of the facts
Record signed by an accused person confirming the advice received, that the decision to plead guilty is their own, that they admit the elements and the agreed facts, and what they understand about the discount, the penalty range and consequences.
- Kind
- Form. A form to complete, or a guide to completing an official one.
- Where it applies
- New South Wales, Australia
- AI use
- Red Keep AI out of the decisive steps. A lawyer does the work.
- Law stated as at
- 18 October 2026
- Status
- Maintained. Checked on 18 October 2026 against the 2 authorities it cites, for New South Wales and Australia.
- Version
- 1
- Source
- Written for this library
When to use it
Use before a client enters a plea of guilty in any criminal court, especially where the client maintains innocence on some point, has limited English, has a cognitive impairment, or where the plea follows charge negotiations. It protects the client and the lawyer if the plea is later questioned. The lawyer completes the advice sections; the client’s confirmations are read to them and signed by them.
Used for these tasks
Each task page says how far AI may help with the task and what the lawyer must review.
How AI may be used
The client signs this record in their own name, so the lawyer prepares it with the client; AI may only fill matter details and copy the charges and agreed facts reference from the file.
AI may
- Fill the client’s name, matter number, court and the charges exactly as on the court attendance notice or indictment
- Fill the date and reference of the agreed facts and any negotiations document
AI must not
- Must not write or paraphrase the client’s confirmations, admissions or reasons for pleading
- Must not summarise the advice given; the lawyer writes section 2 from their own advice
- Must not be used to prepare the record in a language the client reads without a qualified interpreter or translator checking it
The lawyer checks
- The client admits each element of each offence to which they will plead; if not, the plea is not entered on those instructions
- The advice recorded matches the advice actually given, including the discount, the penalty range and immigration, employment and licence consequences
- The record was read to the client, with an interpreter where needed, and the client had time and opportunity to ask questions and get independent advice
- The client signed freely, and the lawyer has no concern about capacity or pressure from others
Method: how the Green, Yellow and Red levels are decided. This is guidance for planning, not legal advice.
Read the full text
The full text is for signed-in accounts. It is free. When you sign in you can:
- read the whole precedent, with its drafting notes beside it;
- copy it, or download it as a Word file or Markdown;
- add it to your firm’s knowledge base, so colleagues can find it;
- let the AI tools you connect read it from that knowledge base.
The summary, the law it rests on and the AI-use guidance above stay public. Privacy.
More in Criminal Law
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- Guilty plea sentencing preparation checklist: purposes, s 21A factors, plea discount and subjective material (NSW)
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- Letter to the prosecution requesting service of the brief of evidence and missing material (NSW Local Court)
- Plain-language letter to a client explaining their bail conditions and what happens if they are breached (NSW)
- Sentencing submissions and guidance letter for character referees
- Defended hearing preparation and attendance checklist (NSW Local Court summary proceedings)
- Application under s 14 of the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 (NSW)
- Protocol: AI-assisted review of the prosecution brief and digital evidence
- Checklist: challenging or authenticating suspected AI-generated (deepfake) evidence
All precedents for Criminal Law · Tasks and AI use in this area