MEDIA RELEASE
28 April 2011	Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	48/2011

While the number of defendants with at least one federal offence finalised in Australia's Criminal Courts remained stable at 14,000 in 2009-10, the total number of federal offences increased by 38%, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The average number of offences per defendant increased from 2.5 in 2008–09 to 3.5 federal offences for 2009–10.

More than a third (34%) of defendants had a principal federal offence of fraud, deception and related offences and a further 26% had a principal federal offence of offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations.

While the number of finalised defendants remained stable, the number of defendants sentenced to a custodial order increased by 11%.

Other findings include:

• There were 13,000 people charged with at least one federal offence in the Magistrates' Courts; 800 in the Higher Courts; and 200 in the Children's Courts.
• Of the combined states and territories, New South Wales had the highest proportion of federal defendants (34%), followed by Victoria (22%) and Queensland (21%).
• The highest proportion of offences for finalised defendants were: illicit drugs in the Higher Courts (26% or 200 defendants); fraud, deception and related offences in the Magistrates' Courts (36% or 4,600 defendants); and abduction, harassment and related offences in the Children's Courts (41% or 90 defendants).
• Persons aged 35–39 years had the highest proportion for all combined court levels (15% or 2,000 defendants).

More details are available in Federal Defendants, Selected States and Territories, 2009-10 (cat. no. 4515.0).

Media notes:

• Each defendant is assigned a principal federal offence (most serious offence) if a person is charged with more than one federal offence.
• When reporting ABS data the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or ABS) must be attributed as the source.