The Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, in its Report on Government Services 2002, estimated that approximately $350 per person was spent by governments on justice in recurrent expenditure. This does not include spending by governments on items such as capital works (i.e. new police stations, prisons or court facilities). Of the total recurrent expenditure of nearly $6.8b, $4.4b was spent on police services, while expenditure on corrective services was $1.5b (table 11.2).
Between 1996-97 and 2000-01, expenditure grew most in real terms for criminal court administration and corrective services (annual average growth rates of more than 6%).
11.2 GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON JUSTICE(a)(b)(c)
|
 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | Growth(d) |
| Justice sector | $m | $m | $m | $m | $m | % |
|
| Police services | 3,839 | 3,879 | 4,240 | 4,408 | 4,383 | 3.4 |
| Court administration - criminal(e) | 355 | 381 | 409 | 406 | 456 | 6.5 |
| Court administration - civil(f)(g) | 440 | 441 | 479 | 502 | 476 | 2.0 |
| Corrective services(h) | 1,154 | 1,141 | 1,254 | 1,409 | 1,461 | 6.1 |
| Total justice system | 5,789 | 5,843 | 6,382 | 6,725 | 6,776 | 4.0 |
|
(a) In 2000-01 dollars.
(b) Recurrent expenditure plus depreciation less revenue from own sources.
(c) Payroll tax has not been included for WA and ACT as they are exempt. For all other jurisdictions, it has been included.
(d) Average annual growth rate over the period 1996-97 to 2000-01.
(e) Includes the cost of coroners' courts.
(f) Excludes the cost of probate hearings.
(g) Includes the cost of the Family Court and Federal Court of Australia.
(h) Excludes WA community corrections expenditure during 1996-97. NT prison and community corrections did not deduct revenue from own sources in 1996-97. |
Source: Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, 'Report on Government Services 2002'. |
Print Page