What the law states
Section 12 of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW) states that:
(1) A person who administers or attempts to administer a prohibited drug to himself or herself is guilty of an offence.
(2) Nothing in this section renders unlawful the administration or attempted administration by a person to himself or herself of a prohibited drug which has been lawfully prescribed for or supplied to the person.
Example of this offence
A common example of this offence is if police witness you injecting heroin in a park.
Before which court will my matter be heard?
Self-administration of prohibited drugs falls under Part 2, Division 1 of the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 (NSW). This means that this offence is considered a summary offence, and is heard in the Local Court.
Defences
Defences to the offence of self-administration of prohibited drugs include but are not limtied to:
Penalties
The maximum penalty for self-administration of prohibited drugs is 2 years imprisonment or $2200 or both.
How can Prime Lawyers help you?
Our criminal lawyers are experienced in representing people who have been charged with self-administration of prohibited drugs. We will advise you on your chances of successfully defending your matter and thus being found ‘not guilty’. If you are pleading guilty, we will represent you at court to help minimise the punishment you receive.
If the Police’s case is weak against you, it may be possible to write to them and have them withdraw the charges against you. There are severe imprisonment terms which can be ordered by the Court and thus it is important that you seek advice from a criminal lawyer. We will fight vigorously to protect your rights.