3 Feb 2021
WALTERS v NZ POLICE [2021] NZHC 63
- Citation
- [2021] NZHC 63
- Court
- High Court
The District Court erred by inadequately establishing the offender's inability to pay a fine under s14 of the Sentencing Act and by not obtaining a proper financial declaration where uncertainty existed; a fine of $1,700 was the least restrictive appropriate sentence that achieved denunciation and deterrence for a small personal-use grow (category 1), so the 90 hours community work was quashed and replaced with the fine (payment by instalments permitted).