But a formal conviction, along with an order he perform 300 hours community service and enter a two-year good-behaviour order, also ends Slipper's plans to return to legal practice after losing his seat in federal parliament last year.

Slipper declined to comment when he left court.

But his ex-wife, Lyn, defiantly told the media the charges had been "bull****", a "witch hunt", and a waste of taxpayers' money.

"Law and justice are parallel universes in this country today," she said outside the court.

"There is no justice when the hardest working member of that House has been persecuted almost to the grave."

"We have seen $3million of our hard earned taxpayers' funds squandered on this travesty of justice."

She claimed Slipper had been targeted by his former Coalition colleagues.

Earlier in court, Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker categorised the crimes as mid-level offences and said Slipper had acted out of "greed not need".

He had held one of the highest political positions in the country, and had breached a trust.

Ms Walker said Slipper had shown no remorse for his offences, other than for the shattering personal effects the public humiliation had had on him.

In constructing the sentence, Ms Walker said she had taken into account the extra-curial punishment Slipper had suffered in the form of intense public scrutiny, loss of career and reputation, loss of employment prospects, and the impact on his family.

She also took into account his mental health. He developed a major depressive illness after the allegations were aired, the court heard.

Ms Walker said Slipper had an "excellent reputation", with an otherwise unblemished character.

But she said his crimes had "undermined public confidence" in parliamentarians and there was a need for "condign punishment".

"[Community service] is an appropriate way to repay the community," she said.

Slipper previously informed the court he was prepared to come to Canberra to complete a community service order, as this was not possible to do in Queensland.

Slipper was found guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court in July on three charges he acted dishonestly and knowingly caused a risk of loss to the Commonwealth when he misused parliamentary Cabcharge vouchers to visit the prestigious local wineries.

Slipper charged a total travel bill of $954 to the government for three trips over a five-month period in 2010.

During the trial, the court heard Slipper had paid for the sojourns by filling out multiple vouchers for each trip.

The former federal member for Fisher pleaded not guilty to all three counts, arguing the government should foot the bill because he had conducted parliamentary business on the trips.

But Ms Walker found Slipper had knowingly travelled outside his entitlements.

Ms Walker said he had intentionally filled in the dockets with false information in an attempt to conceal the fact he was not on parliamentary business.

Slipper is appealing against the finding of guilt in the ACT Supreme Court, and that case is due back in court on Thursday for a directions hearing.

The maximum penalty was a one-year jail term and a $6600 fine for each offence.

A sentencing hearing on Monday heard the prosecution and defence both held extreme positions on how Slipper should be treated by the court for his crimes.

Prosecutors pushed to have Slipper jailed for the fraud, but the former MP's lawyer argued his good character "trivial" nature of the offences entitled him to escape conviction.

On Wednesday, Ms Walker took the middle ground, sentencing the 64-year-old to 300 hours community service, a two-year good behaviour order, and ordering he repay the Commonwealth the $954.

He was given two years to complete the community work.