TASMANIA

DEFENDANTS FINALISED

Tasmanian Criminal Courts finalised 13,373 defendants in 2015–16, a decrease of 1% (115) compared with 2014–15. In contrast, the number of defendants finalised nationally increased by 3% (14,592) over the same period. (Tables 1 and 35)


Defendants finalised in Tasmania accounted for 2% of defendants finalised in Australian state and territory criminal courts in 2015–16. (Table 2)

Tasmania accounted for 3% of offenders proceeded against by police in Australia in 2015–16. (Table 6 in the 2015–16 issue of Recorded Crime – Offenders, Australia (cat. no. 4519.0))

PRINCIPAL OFFENCE

The three most common principal offences for defendants finalised in Tasmania in 2015–16 were:

• Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences (43% or 5,790);
• Acts intended to cause injury (15% or 1,959); and
• Offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations (8% or 1,108).

The largest decreases in the number of defendants finalised between 2014–15 and 2015–16 occurred for the following principal offences:

• Public order offences (16% or 113);
• Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences (2% or 97); and
• Theft and related offences (5% or 53). (Table 35)

METHOD OF FINALISATION

The number of defendants finalised that were proven guilty in Tasmania in 2015–16 was 11,016. This represented an increase of 2% (166) compared with 2014–15. This was driven by an increase in guilty plea by defendant (4% or 387) and partially offset by decreases in guilty ex-parte (23% or 189) and guilty finding by court (6% or 31). The number of defendants finalised who were acquitted decreased by 14% (276) compared with 2014–15. (Table 35)

Tasmania had the highest proportion of defendants finalised that were acquitted among the state and territories (13% or 1,713) and the lowest proportion of defendants finalised who were withdrawn by prosecution (2% or 308) in 2015–16. (Table 2)

PRINCIPAL SENTENCE

Four in five (80% or 8,772) defendants proven guilty were sentenced to a non-custodial order while one in five (20% or 2,239) defendants proven guilty were sentenced to a custodial order in 2015–16.

The number of defendants finalised that were sentenced to custodial orders increased by 16% (306) compared with 2014–15, while the number sentenced to non-custodial orders decreased by 2% (145) over the same time period. (Table 35)


The increase in custodial orders was driven by a rise in the number of defendants finalised that were sentenced to custody in a correctional institution (24% or 186) and fully suspended sentence (10% or 113) compared with 2014–15. (Table 8 in the 2015–16 issue; Table 7 in the 2014–15 issue)

OTHER KEY POINTS

In 2015–16:

• Compared to 2014–15, the proportion of defendants finalised in the Magistrates’ Court (92% or 12,298), Children’s Court (5% or 658) and Higher Court (3% or 423) remained unchanged; (Table 35)
• Young defendants (aged 10-19 years) comprised 10% (1,327) of defendants finalised; (Tables 2 and 35)
• Just over three-quarters (76% or 10,172) of defendants finalised in 2015–16 were male, while 24% (3,181) were female and less than 1% (30) were organisations; (Table 35) and
• Excluding the Tasmanian Higher courts, the median sentence length for those sentenced to custody in a correctional institution was 4 months and for community service orders was 50 hours. The median amount given to defendants sentenced to a fine was $350. (Tables 48d, 49 and 50)