FEDERAL DEFENDANTS PROVEN GUILTY

In 2013-14, there were a total of 7,174 (69%) defendants proven guilty for a federal offence in Australia’s criminal courts. There has been almost no change in this number since 2012-13. (Table 6)



COURT LEVEL

In 2013-14:

• 88% of defendants proven guilty were finalised in the Magistrates’ Courts (6,318 defendants);
• one in ten (10%) defendants proven guilty were finalised in the Higher Courts (728 defendants); and
• 2% of defendants proven guilty were finalised in the Children’s Courts (130 defendants). (Table 6)

SEX AND AGE

Of the 7,174 defendants proven guilty for a federal offence in Australia’s criminal courts in 2013-14:

• three quarters (73%) were male (5,205 defendants);
• one in five (21%) were female (1,525 defendants); and
• one in twenty (5%) were organisations (349 defendants).

The median age of federal defendants proven guilty in 2013-14 was 38 years. (Table 6)


PRINCIPAL FEDERAL OFFENCE

The top three principal federal offences amongst male federal defendants proven guilty in 2013-14 were:

• Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person (29% or 1,511 defendants);
• Offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations (23% or 1,171 defendants); and
• Fraud, deception and related offences (14% or 741 defendants). (Table 7)

The top three principal federal offences amongst female federal defendants proven guilty in 2013-14 were:

• Fraud, deception and related offences (42% or 647 defendants);
• Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person (19% or 294 defendants); and
• Offences against justice procedures, government security and government operations (12% or 186 defendants). (Table 7)

SENTENCE TYPE

The total number of federal defendants proven guilty and sentenced to a custodial order in 2013-14 increased by 16% (172 defendants), from 1,097 federal defendants in 2012-13 to 1,269 federal defendants in 2013-14. (Table 6)

Of the 1,269 federal defendants proven guilty and sentenced to a custodial order, close to three-quarters (73%) were sentenced to custody in a correctional institution (920 defendants). (Table 10)

Almost three-quarters (74%) of all federal defendants sentenced to custody in a correctional institution in 2013-14 had a principal federal offence of:

• Illicit drug offences (27% or 245 defendants);
• Fraud, deception and related offences (26% or 235 defendants); and
• Abduction, harassment and other offences against the person (21% or 193 defendants). (Table 11)

Sentence type by court level

Of the 728 defendants proven guilty and sentenced in Australia’s Higher Courts in 2013-14, four in five (82%) were sentenced to a custodial order (597 defendants), including:

• 477 defendants who were sentenced to custody in a correctional institution; and
• 100 defendants who were sentenced to a fully suspended sentence. (Table 10)
  

Of the 6,318 defendants proven guilty and sentenced in Australia’s Magistrates’ Courts in 2013-14, nine out of ten (90%) were sentenced to a non-custodial order (5,654 defendants), including:

• 3,725 defendants who received a monetary order. (Table 10)