The most common principal federal offences for finalised federal defendants across All Courts were:
Offences against justice (23% or 2,409 defendants);
Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person (22% or 2,313 defendants); and
Fraud and deception (18% or 1,839 defendants). (Table 2)
Of the defendants finalised with a principal federal offence of Offences against justice, the majority were charged with the ANZSOC Group 1549 - Offences against government operations, n.e.c. (81% of all defendants for the ANZSOC Division). This ANZSOC Group includes offences such as failure to complete the Census form, failure to lodge taxation forms, failure to vote, hoax calls to emergency services and postal offences. (Table 2)
The principal federal offence varied depending on which court level the defendant was finalised:
for the Higher Courts, the most common principal offence was Illicit drug offences (28%);
for the Magistrates' Courts, Offences against justice (24%); and
for the Children's Courts, Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person (54%). (Table 2)
Between 2011–12 and 2012–13, the main movements in principal federal offence for All Courts were:
decreases in Offences against justice (down 23% or 732 defendants) and Fraud and deception (down 15% or 329 defendants); and
increases in Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person (up 19% or 372 defendants) and Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences (up 25% or 239 defendants). (Table 9)
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