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Apology letter

Information about how to write an apology letter.

When should I write an apology letter?

If you are pleading guilty, it is usually a good idea to write an apology letter to the Court.

An apology letter shows the Court that you:

  • realise the seriousness of the offence
  • are sorry for your actions
  • won’t re-offend.

When deciding what sentence to give you, the Court will consider any mitigating factors, including:

  • written evidence of your remorse
  • your lack of a prior criminal record
  • that is unlikely you 

You should write an apology letter when you are:

  • pleading guilty to any criminal or traffic offence, including an infringement that you elected to take to court
  • appealing your Transport for NSW licence suspension.

Sample: Sample Apology letter

You should address your apology to the Magistrate or Judge of the Court hearing your case.

If your case is in the Local Court, a Magistrate will decide your case. If you are going to the District Court, a Judge will decide your case.

For example:

To the Presiding Magistrate
Hornsby Local Court

To the Presiding Judge
Parramatta District Court

You should refer to the Judge or Magistrate as “Your Honour”. 

Your apology letter should be typed or neatly handwritten on a white piece of A4 paper.

It should also be:

  • written in English
  • in size 12, easy to read font, for example Arial or Calibri
  • no more than two pages long.

You should write your apology in your own word. Don’t use formal or legal language, especially if you don’t understand what it means.

You must date and sign your apology letter.

Your apology letter should include:

  • a statement taking responsibility for your actions
  • an apology - tell the Court you are sorry for the offence and any harm it has caused
  • any steps you have taken to fix the damage caused by your actions, such as
    • apologising to the victim 
    • paying to fix any property damage
  • any steps you have taken so you won’t re-offend – if this is your first offence you should highlight this to the Court
  • the details of any program you have participated in or treatment you have received to address your behaviour and how it is helping you or what you have learnt, for example 
    • the traffic offender program
    • an anger management program
    • counselling or mental health treatment plan
  • the details of
    • the embarrassment you have felt reflecting on your actions and disclosing it to friends and family
    • the impact that your actions have had on your family, job, and other personal commitments
  • anything else you would like to tell the Court.

You should hand your apology letter to the Court before making your submissions.

You should show your letter to the prosecutor before giving it to the Court. You are entitled to see the material the prosecutor wants to give to the Court, and the prosecutor is entitled to see what you hand up to the Court, including your apology letter.

You should bring three copies of your letter. You will need one for the Court, one for the prosecutor, and one for yourself.