AGE AND SEX
The proportion of male defendants finalised varied between court levels; 81% of defendants in the Higher Courts were male, compared to 67% in the Magistrates' Courts, and 76% in the Children's Courts.
Across the three court levels, the 35-39 year age group was the highest represented age cohort (15%), and this was consistent for both males and females. More than half (54%) of all defendants were aged between 25 and 44 years. In the Children's Courts, defendants aged 17 years and over comprised more than a third (37%) of persons finalised.
The largest age cohort in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland was 35-39 year olds. In South Australia, 40-44 year olds had the highest proportion of finalised defendants. While in Western Australia and the Northern Territory 30-34 year olds had the highest proportion of finalised defendants, and 20-24 years olds in the Australian Capital Territory. The proportion of male defendants varied between jurisdictions, between 78% in the Northern Territory and 61% in Western Australia.