TASMANIA

DEFENDANTS FINALISED

In 2016–17, there were 13,045 defendants finalised in Tasmania’s criminal courts, a decrease of 328 defendants (2%) on the previous year. (Table 35)

The rate of defendants finalised was 2,854 per 100,000 persons aged 10 years and over. (Table 53)


Defendants finalised in Tasmania accounted for 2% of all defendants finalised nationally in 2016–17. (Table 2)

PRINCIPAL OFFENCE

In 2016–17, defendants in Tasmania were most commonly finalised for:

• Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences (41% or 5,364), which have decreased by 7% (426) since 2015–16;
• Acts intended to cause injury (15% or 1,942) which have decreased by less than one percent (17); and
• Offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations (9% or 1,224), which increased by 10% (116) on the previous year. (Table 35)

COURT LEVEL

In 2016–17, 11,957 defendants (92%) were finalised in Tasmania’s Magistrates’ Courts. This represents a 3% (341) decrease since 2015–16 with the number of defendants finalised in this court level reaching their lowest levels since 2013–14. (Table 35)

METHOD OF FINALISATION

In 2016–17, 94% (12,281) of defendants finalised in Tasmania’s criminal courts had their matter(s) adjudicated. The majority (87% or 10,670) of these defendants were proven guilty, of which 91% (9,662) entered a guilty plea.

Around 3% of defendants had their matter(s) withdrawn by the prosecution (402), or transferred to another court level (356). (Table 35)

PRINCIPAL SENTENCE

Of the 10,670 defendants proven guilty in 2016–17:

• 79% (8,461) were sentenced to a non-custodial order; and
• One in five (21% or 2,205) received a custodial sentence, a decrease of 2% (34) from 2015–16. (Table 35)

OTHER KEY POINTS

In 2016–17:

• The median age of defendants finalised in Tasmania’s criminal courts was 32 years.
• Just over three-quarters (76% or 9,857) of defendants finalised in 2016–17 were male.
• Excluding the Tasmanian Higher courts, the median sentence length for those sentenced to custody in a correctional institution (excluding those sentenced to life or indeterminate) was 4 months and for community service orders was 49 hours.
• The median amount given for a fine was $400. (Tables 2, 57d, 58 and 59)