The Criminal Bar Association emailed its members recently advising that CCOs are now a sentencing option for Commonwealth offences.

The Crimes Amendment Regulation (No 2) 2012 amended the Crimes Regulations 1990. The explanatory statement helpfully sets out the need for this change:

The purpose of this Regulation is to correct and simplify existing regulations 5 and 6 of the Principal Regulations, and then amend regulations 5 and 6 to refer to revised sentencing legislation in Victoria. This ensures that federal offenders are eligible to access a range of pre‑release and sentencing options, in accordance with recently amended sentencing legislation in Victoria.

The amending regulations were registered on 14 Mar 2012, and so commenced operation on 15 Mar 2012 by virtue of reg 3 and the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.