WESTERN AUSTRALIA

DEFENDANTS FINALISED

Western Australian Criminal Courts finalised 87,047 defendants in 2015–16, a slight decrease (less than 1% or 638) compared with 2014–15. In contrast, the number of defendants finalised nationally increased by 3% (14,592). (Tables 1 and 31)


Defendants finalised in Western Australia accounted for 14% of defendants finalised in Australian state and territory criminal courts in 2015–16. (Table 2)

Western Australia accounted for 9% 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 Western Australia in 2015–16 were:

• Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences (39% or 34,178);
• Illicit drug offences (13% or 11,394); and
• Offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations (8% or 7,076). (Table 31)

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

• Public order offences (25% or 1,808);
• Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences (4% or 1,265); and
• Offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations (8% or 573). (Table 31)

While the overall number of defendants finalised in Western Australia in 2015–16 decreased, the number of defendants finalised for Illicit drug offences increased by 16% (1,553). Western Australia accounted for 18% of defendants finalised nationally for Illicit drug offences, the third highest proportion after Queensland and New South Wales. (Tables 2 and 31)

AGE

In 2015–16, the number of defendants finalised decreased by:

• 10% (964) for the 10-19 year age group, compared to a national decrease of 4% (2,760); and
• 7% (1,159) for the 20-24 year age group, compared to a national decrease of less than 1% (1,159). (Table 2 in the 2015–16 issue; Table 2 in the 2014–15 issue)

The number of defendants finalised increased for all other age groups in 2015–16.

In 2015–16, the median age of defendants finalised in Western Australia was 31 years. This represented an increase of one year compared with 2014–15, and three years compared with 2011–12. (Table 31)

COURT LEVEL

Of the 87,047 defendants finalised in Western Australia in 2015–16:

• 92% (80,317) were finalised in the Magistrates’ Court;
• 5% (4,413) were finalised in the Children’s Court; and
• 3% (2,320) were finalised in the Higher Court. (Table 31)

Defendants finalised in the Children’s Court fell by 9% (451) since 2014–15. This was the largest decrease of any state or territory, compared to a national decrease of 3% (900) in the number of defendants finalised in the Children’s Court. (Table 2 in the 2015–16 and 2014–15 issues)

PRINCIPAL SENTENCE

Of the 80,197 defendants proven guilty in Western Australian criminal courts in 2015–16:

• 8% (6,556) were sentenced to custodial orders; and
• 92% (73,550) were sentenced non-custodial orders. (Table 31)

Of those defendants sentenced to custodial orders:

• 62% (4,081) were sentenced to custody in a correctional institution; and
• 38% (2,482) were sentenced to fully suspended sentences. (Table 8)

The number of defendants sentenced to custodial orders increased by 8% (486) in 2015–16 compared with 2014–15. In contrast, the number of defendants sentenced to non-custodial orders decreased by 2% (1,402) in 2015–16 for the same period. (Table 31)

OTHER KEY POINTS

In 2015–16:

• Three-quarters (75% or 65,081) of defendants finalised were male, while 24% (21,069) were female. Less than 1% (350) of defendants finalised were organisations;
• 92% (80,197) of defendants finalised were proven guilty, the highest proportion of any state or territory. A further 4% of defendants had their cases withdrawn by prosecution; and
• The median sentence length for defendants sentenced to community service orders was 50 hours, an increase of 10 hours compared with 2014–15. The median sentence length for defendants sentenced to custody in a correctional institution remained stable at 9 months. The median amount given to defendants sentenced to a fine was $500. (Tables 31, 48d, 49 and 50).