Principal offence

During 2012–13, traffic and vehicle regulatory offences was the principal offence for 37% (or 209,856) of defendants finalised in All Courts. This was lower than the proportion of defendants with this offence in the previous year (39% or 223,513 defendants in 2011–12). (Table 2)

For males, the principal offences accounting for the largest proportion of defendants were:

• traffic and vehicle regulatory offences (36%);
• acts intended to cause injury (13%);
• illicit drug offences (8%); and
• public order offences (8%).

For females, the principal offences accounting for the largest proportion of defendants were:

• traffic and vehicle regulatory offences (40%);
• theft (12%); and
• acts intended to cause injury (11%). (Table 5)