Federal Defendants, Australia methodology

Latest release

Reference period

2024-25 financial year

Released

30/04/2026

Next release Unknown

Release date and time

30/04/2026 11:30am AEST

Overview

Scope

Defendants (persons or organisations) charged against Commonwealth legislation whose case was finalised in criminal courts during the financial year 2024–25. Each case separately finalised is counted, excluding court level transfers unless specified.

Geography

Data are available for states and territories, and Australia.

Source

Administrative data is supplied to the ABS by courts administration agencies or statistical agencies in each state and territory.

Collection method

Administrative data for all finalised criminal court federal defendants in the Higher (Supreme and District/County courts), Magistrates’ and Children’s Courts are collected annually at the completion of each financial year.

Concepts, sources and methods

Offences coded to the ANZSOC 2023 and the Federal offence groups.
Court outcomes coded to the Method of finalisation classification.
Penalties coded to the Sentence type classification 2023.
Glossary.

History of changes

Principal offence is based on ANZSOC 2023 from 2023–24. Principal offence for prior years has been concorded from the original ANZSOC 2011 value.

Data collection

Scope and Coverage

The Federal Defendants, Australia, 2024–25 publication presents information about defendants (persons or organisations) charged with an offence against Commonwealth legislation, whose case was finalised within the criminal jurisdictions of the Higher (Supreme and District/County Courts), Magistrates' or Children's courts between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025. Information is presented about the offences, outcomes and sentences associated with these defendants.

Defendants whose cases relate only to offences under state or territory legislation are not in scope of this release, but are included in Criminal Courts, Australia.

Charges against Commonwealth legislation can be prosecuted by:

State and territory police agencies
The Australian Federal Police
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions
State Directors of Public Prosecutions
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission
The Australian Tax Office
Other (generally Commonwealth) authorities.

The following are excluded from the scope of the Federal Defendants collection:

Federal offences based on national laws enacted under state and territory legislation (excluded from 2016–17 onwards)
the Australian Road Rules and associated state and territory enacting legislation.

Defendants finalised on Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island are included in the counts for Western Australia, where applicable. Defendants finalised in Jervis Bay Territory and Norfolk Island are not included.

Data Source

Statistics presented in this publication are compiled based on administrative unit record data supplied to the ABS by the agencies responsible for courts administration in each state and territory, except for Queensland (where data are supplied by the Office of the Government Statistician), and New South Wales (where data are supplied by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research).

To ensure consistency between the states and territories, these agencies provide data coded to national classifications and standards. For more information refer to classifications under ‘Data release’.

Data processing

Counting methodology

The counting unit for this collection is the finalised defendant of a federal offence.

A finalised defendant is a person or organisation for whom all charges within a case have been formally completed so that they cease to be an active item of work for the court during the reference period. Federal offences are charges against Commonwealth legislation.

The Federal Defendants collection does not count unique persons, instead the following rules are applied:

Where a defendant is finalised for more than one case on the same date and in the same court level, their records are merged, and they are counted as one finalised defendant
Where a defendant is finalised for more than one case on separate dates within the reference period, they will be counted once for each date they were finalised
Where a defendant is finalised in the Magistrates' Courts whilst other charges are committed to, and finalised in the Higher Courts, they will be counted once for each court level they were finalised in during the reference period

Transfers

The following counting rules apply with regards to defendants transferred from, or between court levels:

Defendants transferred from one Higher Court level to another Higher Court level (for example from a County Court to Supreme Court) are considered as finalised only once (from the level they finally left)
Defendants transferred from a Magistrates' or Children’s Court to a Higher Court (or vice versa) are considered as finalised twice (once in each of the courts)
Defendants transferred from the Magistrates' or Children's Courts to Specialist Courts for finalisation (e.g. Drug Courts) are considered finalised (by transfer) in the criminal court that initiated the transfer. Defendants may then, upon completion of the program, return to the court that requested the transfer, for an additional finalisation.

Transfers are excluded from defendant counts in most tables to avoid double-counting of defendants who were transferred and subsequently adjudicated in a different court level. Excluding transfers enables a more accurate representation of defendant characteristics, particularly for more serious offences where transfers to a Higher Court are more common.

Data Items

Defendants who were finalised for more than one offence will have counting rules applied to determine their principal method of finalisation, offence, sentence type and other characteristics for inclusion in data tables.

Age

The age presented in the Federal Defendants data refers to the age (in years) of defendants at the time of case finalisation. It is not the age at which the defendant committed the offence. A person can only be charged with a criminal offence if they are aged 10 years or over.

Sex

The categories used for defendant sex are: male, female, organisations, other and unknown. The number of defendants in the category of ‘other’ is currently not published due to small numbers and inconsistent use, though these defendants are included within the total.

Court levels

Data are reported at three court levels: Higher Courts, Magistrates’ Courts and Children’s Courts.

In this publication, the Higher Courts comprises the Supreme and Intermediate Courts. All states and territories have a Supreme Court that deals with the most serious criminal matters, generally referred to as indictable offences (e.g. serious sexual offences or drug trafficking). New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia also have an intermediate level of court, known as the District Court or County Court, which deal with most serious offences. All defendants that are dealt with by the Higher Courts have an automatic entitlement to a trial before a judge and jury. In some states and territories, the defendant may elect to have their matter(s) heard before a judge alone. Children treated as adults by the court may be included in the Higher Courts defendant counts.

The lowest level of Criminal Court is the Magistrates’ Court (also known as the Court of Summary Jurisdiction, Local Court or Court of Petty Sessions) which hears most criminal cases. Cases heard in the Magistrates’ Courts do not involve a jury; instead, a magistrate determines whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty. Children treated as adults by the courts may also be finalised in the Magistrates' Courts.

Each state and territory have Children's Courts to deal with offences alleged to have been committed by a child or juvenile. These courts mainly hear summary proceedings but do have the power to hear indictable offences in some states and territories. Defendants are considered to be a child by the courts if aged under 18 years at the time they committed an offence. Prior to February 2018, defendants in Queensland were considered to be a child only where they were aged under 17 years.

Method of finalisation

Method of finalisation refers to how a charge is concluded by a criminal court. For defendants who had multiple charges with varying outcomes, the method of finalisation is assigned based on the following order of precedence:

Not guilty by reason of mental illness/condition
Defendant deceased
Unfit to plead
Guilty finding by court
Guilty outcome n.f.d.
Guilty plea by defendant
Guilty ex parte (Magistrates’ Courts and Children’s Court only)
Agreement of wrongdoing
Acquitted by the court
Charge not proven n.f.d.
No case to answer at committal (Magistrates’ Courts and Children’s Court only)
Charge unproven n.e.c.
Committed for trial (Magistrates’ Courts and Children’s Court only)
Committed for sentence
Transfer of charges between court levels
Transfer to a non-court agency
Withdrawn by prosecution
Other non-adjudicated finalisation n.e.c.
Unknown/not stated

Principal federal offence

Principal federal offence refers to the most serious offence (based on ANZSOC 2023) associated with a finalised defendant. For defendants finalised with a single federal offence type, this is their principal federal offence.

Where a defendant has multiple charges, their principal offence is determined using a multi-step process. The first is to code the outcome for each offence to a method of finalisation group ranked as follows:

Defendant deceased, unfit to plead, or not guilty by reason of mental illness
Charges with a guilty outcome
Charges not proven
Transfer of charges to other court levels
Charges withdrawn
Other non-adjudicated finalisation
Unknown/not stated

The charge with the highest ranked method of finalisation group is allocated as the principal federal offence.

If there are multiple charges with the same method of finalisation group, the offence with the most serious sentence (based on the Sentence type classification 2023) is allocated as the principal federal offence. If multiple charges received the same sentence type, the offence with the greatest sentence length/amount is allocated as the principal federal offence.

The National Offence Index (NOI), which ranks offences according to perceived seriousness, is used to select the principal federal offence where there are multiple charges and they have the same method of finalisation group, sentence type and sentence length/amount.

For example, for a federal defendant with guilty outcomes for child abuse material offences receiving a three-month sentence to custody in a correctional institution, and illegal import of drugs receiving a nine-month sentence to custody in a correctional institution, their principal offence would be illegal import of drugs. This is different from the methodology used in 2017–18 and prior years, where the derivation was based on the method of finalisation and NOI only, which would result in a principal federal offence of child abuse material offences. Any charges for the same defendant withdrawn or not proven would not be considered.

Principal federal sentence

A sentence is a penalty or order imposed by a court upon a defendant who has a guilty outcome for a federal criminal offence.

Defendants can receive:

A single sentence for a single offence with a guilty outcome
A single sentence for multiple offences with guilty outcomes
Multiple sentences for a single offence with a guilty outcome
Multiple sentences for multiple offences with guilty outcomes

Federal defendants with more than one sentence type (for either a single offence or multiple offences) are assigned a principal sentence, which is intended to reflect the most serious sentence based on the hierarchy of the Sentence type classification 2023.

Compound (or ‘complex’) sentences can be broadly defined as sentences served in the community that include various components or conditions, such as program attendance, community work, drug or alcohol treatment, counselling and education. These sentences are becoming increasingly common across states and territories due to their flexibility, with judges/magistrates able to tailor a sentence to suit the circumstances of an offender and their offending, whilst providing for both restitution and rehabilitation.

The Sentence type classification 2023 has been designed to reflect the severity of compound sentences, and improve comparability of sentences within and across states and territories. The components or conditions imposed within each compound sentence are considered when coding to the classification, so that sentences of a similar nature and level of severity are categorised together, regardless of the label of the order.

From 2022–23 data has been coded according to this approach, and historical data for the years prior were approximated to the new classification. The application of the new classification has, for several jurisdictions, resulted in changes to the coding of some sentence orders. Refer to Data comparability – State and territory notes for more detail.

Duration

Duration is a measure of court timeliness. It represents the time taken (in days) between the date a defendant’s case(s) was initiated in court (through committal or registration) and the date they ceased to be an item of work for the court as follows:

Duration = (Date of finalisation – Date of initiation) + 1

Revisions

Minor refinements to the preliminary ANZSOC 2023 offence coding for 2023–24 resulted in some changes in defendant counts across Divisions.

Data release

Classifications

Classifications provide a framework for organising and presenting data in a comparable and consistent manner. The key classifications used for this collection are:

ANZSOC 2023

Offence data are coded to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC), 2023.

Federal offence groups

The Federal offence groups presented in this collection provide an alternate way (to the ANZSOC) of grouping federal offences, based on offence types that are of particular interest to users of federal defendants data.

The federal offence groups are not a formal ABS standard nor related to ANZSOC, and may comprise offences that reside in different ANZSOC divisions. For the definitions of groups and the Commonwealth Acts, sections and ANZSOC categories contained within each group refer to the Federal offence groups.

The federal offence groups are largely based on the Commonwealth Act the defendant was charged under, with the exception of offences against the Criminal Code Act 1995, Crimes Act 1914, Migration Act 1958, Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 which are assigned using both Act and Section level information. The groups are subject to regular review, following changes to federal legislation or emerging user needs.

A principal federal offence group is assigned by selecting a defendant’s principal offence (as outlined in Principal federal offence) and then using the underlying legislation to select the corresponding federal offence group. For a small number of defendants, where there is more than one federal offence group associated with the defendant's highest ranking ANZSOC offence, the following secondary hierarchy (of federal offence categories) is applied to select the principal federal offence group:

Human trafficking, slavery and sexual offences
Child sexual abuse offences
Drugs
Terrorism
International
Commonwealth officials
Justice
Social Security
Fraud
Migration
Defence
Proceeds of Crime
Illegal Fishing
Financial
Import/Export Offences
Communications
Maritime
Environment
People Smuggling
Tax
Security
Commonwealth property
Transport
Aviation
Other
Illegal use/importation of weapons

From 2021–22, the category ‘Terrorism’ was expanded to include international terrorism or foreign incursion offences, advocating for terrorism, offences relating to control or preventative detention orders, and failure to provide information relating to terrorist acts which were either new offences or were previously coded to federal offence groups of ‘Security’, ‘Justice’, or ‘International’. For more information on the Acts included refer to the Federal offence groups.

Prior to 2019–20, the category 'Commonwealth sexual offences' included sexual offences against a minor. These offences have since been included in the ‘Child sexual abuse offences’ category, which was an expansion and re-labelling of the previous ‘Child sexual exploitation offences’ category. Subsequently, in 2021–22, the federal offence category ‘Commonwealth sexual offences’ was relabelled ‘Human trafficking, slavery and sexual offences’ to better reflect the remaining content.

Method of finalisation

Method of finalisation refers to how a criminal charge is concluded by a criminal court. The Method of Finalisation Classification contains the main categories of:

Adjudicated finalisation: a charge has received a judgement or decision by the court as to whether or not the defendant is guilty
Non-adjudicated finalisation: a charge considered to have been completed even though a judgement has not been handed down by the court (e.g. withdrawn by prosecution, defendant deceased, unfit to plead, or transfers to non-court agencies)
Transfers to other court levels: a court order for the charge to be transferred to another court level for adjudication or sentencing.

Sentence type

The Sentence Type Classification 2023 describes the types of sentences that are handed down by the court for offences with a guilty outcome, and includes the main categories of:

Custody in a correctional institution
Intensive penalty in the community
Fully suspended sentence of imprisonment
Community service/work
Moderate penalty in the community
Monetary orders (largely fines)
Good behaviour (incl. bonds)
Nominal and other penalties.

The previous Sentence Type Classification was used for releases prior to 2022–23. However, earlier data has been transitioned to the new classification structure where possible, to provide time series comparability.

In some cases, defendants with a method of finalisation of 'Not guilty by reason of mental illness/condition' may have a type of order imposed. However, these sentences are not published for this collection.

Confidentiality

The Census and Statistics Act 1905 provides the authority for the ABS to collect statistical information, and requires that statistical output shall not be published or disseminated in a manner that is likely to enable the identification of a particular person or organisation. To minimise the risk of identifying individuals in aggregate statistics, perturbation has been applied to all data presented in this publication, to randomly adjust cell values and summary variables. This technique involves small, random adjustment of the statistics and is considered the most satisfactory technique for avoiding the release of identifiable statistics while maximising the range of information that can be released. These adjustments have a negligible impact on the underlying pattern of the statistics.

The result of perturbation is that a given published cell value will be consistent across all tables, but the sum of the components of a total will not necessarily be the same as the published total. As such, proportions may add to more or less than 100%. Readers are advised to use the published totals rather than deriving totals based on the sum of component cells. Cells with small values may be proportionally more affected by perturbation than large values. Users are advised against conducting analyses and drawing conclusions based on small values.

Data comparability

State and territory notes

Every state and territory has their own courts systems that operate under state and territory laws, determined by state and territory governments, that are largely independent of each other.

National standards and classifications are used to produce nationally comparable data. However, various factors can impact data quality and comparability, including:

Data systems being designed for the purpose of administration of court business (as opposed to national statistical purposes)
Modification to data systems and methodology used to extract/compile data
Refinements to data quality procedures
Legislative or operational differences (such as differences in the types of sentencing options available to the courts)

The Federal Defendants collection presents a subset of all defendants finalised in Australia's criminal courts, as published in Criminal Courts, Australia. However, a federal defendant may also be finalised for state or territory offences in the same reference period, so the difference between all defendants and federal defendants does not equal the count of defendants with state/territory offences.

The data in this publication may not be comparable to data published in other national and state/territory publications due to differing scope and counting rules.

The following information highlights events or processes unique to a state or territory that may have impacted on the data for the Federal Defendants collection. Where a state or territory is not listed below, there are no specific notes for that state or territory for this release. For other issues specific to a state or territory that have impacted on the Criminal Courts collection more generally, refer to ‘State and territory specific information’ in the Methodology of Criminal Courts, Australia.

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

Western Australia

Tasmania

Northern Territory

Australian Capital Territory

Transition to ANZSOC 2023 data

During 2022–23, the ABS conducted a review of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification. The review was designed to modernise the language, reflect changes that have occurred in criminal legislation, and respond to emerging user requirements for further detail in some areas. The Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC), 2023 was released in November 2023.

From the ANZSOC 2011 to 2023 versions, there has been the introduction of new groups and subdivisions and an additional division, changes in the scope of existing categories, and expanded coding advice to support consistency.

The courts administration agencies or statistical agencies in each state and territory have subsequently implemented the new classification into their systems, updating the coding for each offence type in their jurisdiction. Some states and territories also identified improvements in existing coding, which resulted in additional changes in counts.

The associated National Offence Index (NOI), which ranks each ANZSOC 2023 group according to perceived seriousness, was also updated in April 2024 to align. The new rankings were incorporated into the derivation of the preliminary ANZSOC 2023 principal offence data. Where defendants had more than one offence in the same case, this may have contributed to changes in their derived principal offence.

Concordances are available that show the detailed relationship between the ANZSOC 2011 and ANZSOC 2023 editions of the classification. These concordances are provided in the Downloads section of Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC), 2023.

Prior to 2023–24, principal offence data was coded to ANZSOC 2011, and historical data in this release has been concorded to an ANZSOC 2023 principal offence value. This has been presented in time series tables to provide a relatively comparable output. However, the concorded data should be used with caution as this was not re-coded and re-processed at the unit record level so changes in the NOI, and any coding adjustments by states and territories, were not incorporated.

To apply the concordances to ANZSOC 2011 data in 2022–23 and prior years, the following approach was used:

ANZSOC 2011 Groups with a 1:1 concordance, were coded to their respective ANZSOC 2023 Group. Changes in specific inclusions within groups could not be re-coded
ANZSOC 2011 Groups split across more than one ANZSOC 2023 Group within the same Subdivision were coded to that Subdivision n.f.d
ANZSOC 2011 Groups split across more than one ANZSOC 2023 Group and Subdivision but within the same Division, were coded to that Division n.f.d
ANZSOC 2011 Groups split across multiple ANZSOC 2023 Groups, Subdivisions and Divisions, were coded to the Division expected to receive the greatest proportion of defendants.

Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC) 2023

Show all

The Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC), 2023 provides a uniform statistical framework for classifying criminal behaviour in the production and analysis of crime and justice statistics.

Code			Division/Subdivision/Group
01			Homicide
	011			Murder
		0110			Murder
	012			Attempted murder
		0120			Attempted murder
	013			Manslaughter or driving causing death
		0131			Manslaughter
		0132			Driving causing death
02			Assault
	021			Serious assault
		0211			Choking and strangulation
		0212			Other serious assault
	022			Assault of a prescribed officer
		0221			Assault of a police officer
		0222			Assault of other prescribed officer
	023			Common assault
		0230			Common assault
03			Sexual offences
	031			Sexual assault of an adult
		0311			Unlawful sexual penetration of an adult
		0312			Unlawful sexual contact of an adult
	032			Sexual assault of a child
		0321			Unlawful sexual penetration of a child
		0322			Unlawful sexual contact of a child
	033			Child procurement or grooming
		0330			Child procurement or grooming
	034			Child abuse material offences
		0341			Produce or distribute child abuse material
		0342			Possess or access child abuse material
	035			Intimate image offences
		0350			Intimate image offences
	039			Other sexual offences
		0391			Offensive sexual acts
		0399			Sexual offences, n.e.c.
04			Harm or endanger persons
	041			Human trafficking or slavery
		0410			Human trafficking or slavery
	042			Abduction or kidnapping
		0420			Abduction or kidnapping
	043			Deprivation of liberty or false imprisonment
		0430			Deprivation of liberty or false imprisonment
	044			Acts that threaten, harass, or control
		0441			Stalking
		0442			Threatening behaviour
		0443			Harassment or private nuisance
		0444			Coercive control
	045			Driving causing serious injury
		0450			Driving causing serious injury
	049			Other acts that harm or endanger persons
		0491			Drug or poison a person
		0492			Neglect or ill-treatment of person under care
		0493			Failure to report child abuse
		0494			Reckless endangerment
		0499			Harm or endanger persons, n.e.c.
05			Robbery, blackmail, and extortion
	051			Robbery
		0511			Aggravated robbery
		0512			Non-aggravated robbery
	052			Blackmail or other extortion
		0520			Blackmail or other extortion
06			Burglary
	061			Burglary of a dwelling
		0611			Aggravated burglary of a dwelling
		0612			Non-aggravated burglary of a dwelling
	062			Burglary of a non-residential building
		0621			Aggravated burglary of a non-residential building
		0622			Non-aggravated burglary of a non-residential building
	069			Other burglary offences
		0691			Other aggravated burglary
		0692			Other non-aggravated burglary
07			Theft
	071			Motor vehicle theft and related offences
		0711			Theft of a motor vehicle
		0712			Illegal use of a motor vehicle
		0713			Theft of motor vehicle parts or contents
	072			Theft from a person
		0720			Theft from a person
	073			Theft from retail premises
		0730			Theft from retail premises
	074			Receive or handle proceeds of crime
		0740			Receive or handle proceeds of crime
	079			Other theft
		0791			Public transport fare evasion
		0792			Theft of other vehicles
		0799			Theft, n.e.c.
08			Fraud and related offences
	081			Obtain benefit by deception
		0811			Identity theft
		0812			Online scams
		0813			Tax offences
		0814			Social services offences
		0815			Counterfeiting of currency
		0819			Obtain benefit by deception, n.e.c.
	082			Deceptive business practices
		0821			Fraudulent trade practices
		0822			Misrepresentation of professional status
		0823			Embezzlement
		0829			Deceptive business practices, n.e.c.
	083			Corruption
		0831			Bribery involving a government official
		0832			Bribery (excluding government officials)
		0839			Corruption, n.e.c.
	084			Unlawful access to information or systems
		0841			Privacy offences
		0842			Unlawful harm to a digital system
		0849			Unlawful access to information or systems, n.e.c.
	089			Other fraud and related offences
		0891			Intellectual property offences
		0892			Defamation
		0899			Fraud and related offences, n.e.c.
09			Drug offences
	091			International drug trafficking
		0911			Illegal import of drugs
		0912			Illegal export of drugs
	092			Distribute or deal drugs
		0921			Distribute or deal drugs – commercial quantity
		0922			Distribute or deal drugs – non-commercial quantity
	093			Manufacture or cultivate drugs
		0931			Manufacture or cultivate drugs – commercial quantity
		0932			Manufacture or cultivate drugs – non-commercial quantity
	094			Unlawful possession or use of drugs
		0941			Unlawful possession of drugs
		0942			Unlawful use of drugs
	099			Other drug offences
		0999			Drug offences, n.e.c.
10			Weapons and explosives offences
	101			International trafficking of weapons or explosives
		1011			Import or export prohibited weapons or explosives
		1012			Import or export regulated weapons or explosives
	102			Distribute or deal weapons or explosives
		1021			Distribute or deal prohibited weapons or explosives
		1022			Distribute or deal regulated weapons or explosives
	103			Manufacture weapons or explosives
		1031			Manufacture of prohibited weapons or explosives
		1032			Manufacture of regulated weapons or explosives
	104			Unlawfully obtain, possess, or use weapons or explosives
		1041			Possession or use of prohibited weapons or explosives
		1042			Unlawfully obtain or possess regulated weapons or explosives
		1043			Misuse of regulated weapons or explosives
	109			Other weapons and explosives offences
		1099			Weapons and explosives offences, n.e.c.
11			Property damage
	111			Arson
		1111			Property damage by fire or explosion
		1112			Bushfire arson
	112			Damage or destroy property
		1121			Graffiti
		1129			Damage or destroy property, n.e.c.
12			Public order, health, and safety offences
	121			Public safety offences
		1211			Criminal intent
		1212			Unlawful association
		1213			Riot or affray
		1219			Public safety offences, n.e.c.
	122			Disruptive conduct
		1221			Trespass
		1222			Offensive language
		1223			Offensive behaviour
		1224			Noise offences
		1229			Disruptive conduct, n.e.c.
	123			Public health regulatory offences
		1231			Sanitation or disease offences
		1232			Alcohol offences
		1233			Tobacco, nicotine, or related offences
		1234			Hazardous substances offences
		1235			Pharmaceutical offences
		1236			Betting or gambling offences
		1239			Public health regulatory offences, n.e.c.
	129			Other public order, health, and safety offences
		1291			Emergency regulation offences
		1292			Occupational safety offences
		1299			Public order, health, and safety offences, n.e.c.
13			Traffic and vehicle offences
	131			Drink or drug driving
		1311			Drink-driving
		1312			Drug-driving
		1313			Drink and drug driving
	132			Unsafe operation of a road vehicle
		1321			Exceed speed limit
		1322			Drive while using a device
		1323			Fail to use road vehicle safety equipment
		1324			Reckless driving not causing serious injury
		1329			Unsafe operation of a road vehicle, n.e.c.
	133			Driver licence offences
		1331			Drive while licence disqualified or suspended
		1332			Drive without a licence
		1339			Driver licence offences, n.e.c.
	134			Vehicle registration and standards offences
		1341			Vehicle registration offences
		1342			Vehicle standards offences
	135			Transport regulation offences
		1350			Transport regulation offences
	139			Other traffic and vehicle offences
		1391			Unsafe operation of a boat or ship
		1392			Parking offences
		1393			Pedestrian offences
		1399			Traffic and vehicle offences, n.e.c.
14			Offences against justice procedures and orders
	141			Breach of restraining order
		1411			Breach of restraining order – violence
		1412			Breach of restraining order – non-violence
	142			Offences against justice procedures
		1421			Subvert the course of justice
		1422			Resist or hinder a police officer or justice official
		1429			Offences against justice procedures, n.e.c.
	143			Escape custody
		1430			Escape custody
	144			Breach of sentencing orders
		1441			Breach of home detention
		1442			Breach of community-based sentencing order
		1443			Breach of sex offender requirements
		1449			Breach of sentencing orders, n.e.c.
	145			Offences against other justice orders and regulations
		1451			Breach of bail
		1452			Prison regulation offences
		1453			Breach of parole
		1459			Offences against other justice orders and regulations, n.e.c.
15			Offences against government
	151			Offences against national security
		1511			Terrorism offences
		1519			Offences against national security, n.e.c.
	152			Offences against government services
		1521			Resist or hinder a government representative
		1522			Migration offences
		1523			Voting or electoral offences
		1529			Offences against government services, n.e.c.
16			Environmental offences
	161			Environmental pollution
		1611			Air pollution offences
		1612			Water and land pollution offences
		1619			Environmental pollution, n.e.c.
	162			Environmental management offences
		1621			Fishing offences
		1622			Parks and wildlife offences
		1623			Littering offences
		1629			Environmental management offences, n.e.c.
	163			Animal cruelty
		1630			Animal cruelty
	169			Other environmental offences
		1691			Plant and animal quarantine offences
		1699			Environmental offences, n.e.c.
17			Miscellaneous offences
	171			Miscellaneous commercial offences
		1711			Import and export offences
		1712			Financial management or corporate governance offences
		1713			Unlawful purchase or sale of sexual services
		1719			Miscellaneous commercial offences, n.e.c.
	172			Local offences
		1721			Construction and land use offences
		1722			Pet registration and management offences
		1729			Local offences, n.e.c.
	179			Other miscellaneous offences
		1799			Miscellaneous offences, n.e.c.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Criminal Courts, Australia methodology 2024-25 financial year

Federal offence group

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Federal offence group	Acts included	ANZSOC 2023 divisions included
Aviation	Adelaide Airport Curfew Act 2000, Air Navigation Act 1920, Air Navigation Regulations 1947, Airports (Control of On-Airport Activities) Regulations 1997, Airports Act 1996, Aviation Transport Security Act 2004, Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005, Civil Aviation Act 1988, Civil Aviation Regulations 1988, Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998, Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991, Federal Airports By-laws, Sydney Airport Curfew Act 1995	02 Assault, 03 Sexual offences, 04 Harm or endanger persons, 10 Weapons and explosives offences, 12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 13 Traffic and vehicle offences, 15 Offences against government
Child sexual abuse offences	Crimes Act 1914, Criminal Code Act 1995	03 Sexual offences
Commonwealth officials	Australian Border Force Act 2015, Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006, Crimes Act 1914, Criminal Code Act 1995, Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991	02 Assault, 04 Harm or endanger persons, 08 Fraud and related offences, 15 Offences against government
Commonwealth property	Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, Australian Capital Territory National Land (Unleased) Ordinance 2022, Crimes Act 1914 , Criminal Code Act 1995, Public Order (Protection of Persons and Property) Act 1971	05 Robbery, blackmail, and extortion, 06 Burglary, 07 Theft, 11 Property damage, 12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 14 Offences against justice procedures and orders, 16 Environmental offences
Communications	Australian Postal Corporation Act 1989, Classification (Publication Films & Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1995, Crimes Act 1914, Criminal Code Act 1995, Postal Services Act 1975, Radiocommunications Act 1983, Radiocommunications Act 1992, Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979, Telecommunications Act 1975, Telecommunications Act 1991, Telecommunications Act 1997, Telecommunications General By-laws 1975, Telecommunications Regulations 1975	03 Sexual offences, 04 Harm or endanger persons, 07 Theft, 08 Fraud and related offences, 09 Drug offences, 11 Property damage, 12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 15 Offences against government, 17 Miscellaneous offences
Defence	Defence Act 1903, Defence Force Discipline Act 1982, Defence Force Regulations 1952, Defence Regulation 2016, Defence Trade Controls Act 2012	12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 13 Traffic and vehicle offences
Drugs	Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Administration) Act 1992, Crimes (Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act 1990, Criminal Code Act 1995, Narcotic Drugs Act 1967, Therapeutic Goods Act 1989	09 Drug offences, 12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 17 Miscellaneous offences
Environment	Endangered Species Protection Act 1992, Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000, Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 1983, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Regulations 2019, Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006, Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989, Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005, Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1982	13 Traffic and vehicle offences, 16 Environmental offences, 17 Miscellaneous offences
Financial	Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006, Audit Act 1901, Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 1989, Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001, Australian Trade Commission Act 1985, Banking (Foreign Exchange) Regulations 1959, Banking Act 1959, Bankruptcy Act 1966, Bounty (Books) Act 1986, Cash Transaction Reports Act 1988, Companies Act 1981, Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006, Corporations Act 1989, Corporations Act 2001, Corporations Law, Crimes (Currency) Act 1981, Criminal Code Act 1995, Financial Framework Supplementary Powers Act 1997, Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997, Financial Sector (Collection of Data) Act 2001, Financial Transaction Reports Act 1988, Financial Transaction Reports Act 1992, First Home Owners Act 1983, First Home Owners Regulations 1983, Insurance (Agents and Brokers) Act 1984, Insurance Act 1973, Insurance Contracts Act 1984, National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009, Privacy Act 1988, Reserve Bank Act 1959, Secret Commissions Act 1905, Securities Industry Act 1980, Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992, Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993, Trade Practices Act 1974	08 Fraud and related offences, 14 Offences against justice procedures and orders, 15 Offences against government, 17 Miscellaneous offences
Fraud	Australian Citizenship Act 1948, Business Names Registration Act 2011, Competition and Consumer Act 2010, Copyright Act 1968, Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006, Crimes Act 1914, Criminal Code Act 1995, Criminal Code Amendment Act 2000, Cybercrime Act 2001, Export Market Development Grants Act 1974, Health Insurance Act 1973, National Health Act 1953, National Measurement Act 1960, National Trade Measurement Regulations 2009, National Vocational Education and Training Regulator Act 2011, Statutory Declarations Act 1959, Trade Marks Act 1995, Trade Marks Act 1955	08 Fraud and related offences, 12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 14 Offences against justice procedures and orders, 15 Offences against government
Human trafficking, slavery and sexual offences	Criminal Code Act 1995	04 Harm or endanger persons
Illegal fishing	Fisheries Act 1952, Fisheries Management Act 1991, Fisheries Management Regulations 1992, Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984	16 Environmental offences
Illegal use/importation of weapons	Crimes Act 1914, Criminal Code Act 1995	10 Weapons and explosives offences
Import/export offences	Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry Act 1997, Biosecurity Act 2015, Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905, Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956, Customs Act 1901, Export Control (Orders) Regulations 1982, Export Control Act 1982, Hazardous Waste Regulation of Exports and Imports Act 1989, Imported Food Control Act 1992, Imported Food Control Regulations 1998, Plant Quarantine Act 1997, Quarantine Act 1908, Quarantine Regulations 2000	02 Assault, 03 Sexual offences, 08 Fraud and related offences, 09 Drug offences, 15 Offences against government, 16 Environmental offences, 17 Miscellaneous offences
International	Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011, Charter of the United Nations (Sanctions-Iran) Regulation 2016, Charter of the United Nations Act 1945, Crimes (Internationally Protected Persons) Act 1976, Criminal Code Act 1995, International Transfer of Prisoners Act 1997, Nuclear Non-proliferation (Safeguards) Act 1987, Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act 1995	14 Offences against justice procedures and orders
Justice	Australian Crime Commission Act 2002, Australian Federal Police Act 1979, Australian Federal Police Regulations 1979, Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, Commonwealth Prisoners Act 1967, Competition and Consumer Act 2010, Court Security Act 2013, Crimes Act 1914, Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner Act 2006, Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1987, National Crime Authority Act 1984, Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984, Royal Commissions Act 1902, Service and Execution of Process Act 1901, Service and Execution of Process Act 1992	08 Fraud and related offences, 14 Offences against justice procedures and orders, 15 Offences against government, 17 Miscellaneous offences
Maritime	Control of Naval Waters Act 1918, Control of Naval Waters Regulations 2015, Crimes (Ships and Fixed Platforms) Act 1992, Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, Historic Shipwrecks Act 1978, Marine Order 21 (Safety and Emergency Arrangements Act) 2016, Marine Order Part 30, Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012, Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Act 2003, Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Regulations 2003, Navigation Act 1912, Navigation Act 2012, Occupational Health and Safety (Maritime Industry) Act 1993, Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983, Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018	12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 13 Traffic and vehicle offences, 15 Offences against government, 16 Environmental offences
Migration	Australian Citizenship Act 1948, Australian Citizenship Act 2007, Australian Passports Act 2005, Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, Foreign Passports (Law Enforcement and Security) Act 2005, Migration Act 1958, Migration Regulations 1994, Passports Act 1938	08 Fraud and related offences, 10 Weapons and explosives offences, 15 Offences against government, 17 Miscellaneous offences
People smuggling	Criminal Code Act 1995, Migration Act 1958	04 Harm or endanger persons, 08 Fraud and related offences, 15 Offences against government
Proceeds of crime	Criminal Code Act 1995, Proceeds of Crime Act 1987, Proceeds of Crime Act 2002	07 Theft, 08 Fraud and related offences
Security	Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, Crimes (Biological Weapons) Act 1976, Crimes (Torture) Act 1988, Crimes Act 1914, Criminal Code Act 1995, Customs Administration Act 1985, Defence (Special Undertakings) Act 1952, Intelligence Services Act 2001	15 Offences against government
Social security	A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999, Childcare Rebate Act 1993, National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013, Social Security (Administration) Act 1999, Social Security Act 1947, Social Security Act 1991, Student Assistance Act 1973, Student Assistance Regulations 2003, Veterans' Entitlements Act 1986	08 Fraud and related offences
Tax	A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999, Crimes (Taxation Offences) Act 1980, Excise Act 1901, Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, Taxation Administration Act 1953	08 Fraud and related offences, 12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 14 Offences against justice procedures and orders, 15 Offences against government
Terrorism	Counter-Terrorism (Temporary Exclusion Orders) Act 2019, Crimes (Foreign Incursions and Recruitment) Act 1978, Crimes Act 1914, Criminal Code Act 1995	12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 14 Offences against justice procedures and orders, 15 Offences against government
Transport	ANU Parking and Traffic Statute 2007, ANU Parking and Traffic Statute 2015, Australian National Railways By-laws, Australian National Railways Commission Act 1983, Australian National University Act 1991, Interstate Road Transport Act 1985, Interstate Road Transport Regulations 1986, Motor Vehicle Standard Act 1989, Open Areas Parking Rule 2014, Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003	08 Fraud and related offences, 13 Traffic and vehicle offences
Other	Aged Care Act 1997, Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994, Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986, Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Act 1980, Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act 2005, Census and Statistics Act 1905, Child Support (Assessment) Act 1989, Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988, Competition and Consumer Act 2010, Crimes (Hostages) Act 1989, Distillation Act 1901, Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009, Fair Work Act 2009, Family Law Act 1975, Family Law Rules 1984, Fuel (Penalty Surcharges) Administration Act 1997, Gene Technology Act 2000, Industrial Chemicals (Notification and Assessment) Act 1989, Industrial Chemicals Act 2019, Interactive Gambling Act 2001, Marriage Act 1961, Northern Territory Emergency Response Act 2007, Primary Industries Levies and Charges Collection Act 1991, Public Health (Tobacco and other products) Act 2023, Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011, Wine Australia Corporations Act 2013, Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Workplace Relations Act 1996, Workplace Relations Regulations 1996	04 Harm or endanger persons, 08 Fraud and related offences, 12 Public order, health, and safety offences, 17 Miscellaneous offences

Method of finalisation classification

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Method of finalisation refers to the way in which a defendant’s case(s) is finalised by the courts and the case(s) ceases to be an item of work for that particular court level within the reference period.

This section presents the different categories/types of method of finalisation in scope of the Federal Defendants, Australia publication, including the definitions for each of these.

Code			Method of Finalisation Type and Description
100			Adjudicated Finalisation
			An outcome of criminal proceedings based on a judgement, or decision made by the court as to whether or not the defendant is guilty of a criminal charge(s). Includes: 110 Charge proven 120 Charge not proven
	110		Charge Proven (Guilty outcome)
			An outcome of criminal proceedings in which a court accepts that a criminal charge(s) is proven either through a guilty plea entered by a defendant, a guilty finding by the court, or a determination of guilty made ex-parte. From 2023–24, also includes where a defendant agrees to a wrongdoing without a formal recording of guilt. Includes: 111 Guilty finding by the court 112 Guilty plea by defendant 113 Guilty ex-parte 114 Agreement of wrongdoing
		111	Guilty finding by the court
			An outcome of criminal proceedings whereby the court (i.e. Jury, Judge, Magistrate etc.) has determined that the defendant is guilty of a criminal charge(s).
		112	Guilty plea by defendant
			An admission of guilt by the defendant in relation to a criminal charge(s).
		113	Guilty ex-parte
			A determination of guilt made by the court, in the absence of the defendant, based on the evidence presented in relation to a criminal charge(s).
		114	Agreement of wrongdoing
			Acknowledgment or agreement of responsibility for a wrongdoing(s); or no denial of responsibility; or is believed to have committed an offence and has consented to a conference. May not result in a formal recording of guilt.
	120		Charges not proven (Acquitted)
			A determination made by the court that the defendant is not guilty of a criminal charge(s) due to sufficient evidence to demonstrate the defendant is not guilty, insufficient evidence presented by the prosecution (to infer guilt), or lack of criminal responsibility (i.e. mental illness or condition at the time the defendant was alleged to have committed an offence). Includes: 121 Acquitted by the court 122 Not guilty by reason of mental illness/condition 123 No case to answer at committal 129 Charge not proven (not elsewhere classified)
		121	Acquitted by the court
			A determination made by the court that the defendant is not guilty, or is free from a criminal charge(s).
		122	Not guilty by reason of mental illness/condition
			A determination made by the court that the defendant is not guilty of a criminal charge(s) by reason of mental illness/condition.
		123	No case to answer at committal
			A determination made by the court (at a committal hearing) that there is insufficient evidence to commit the defendant to a higher court for trial.
		129	Charge not proven (not elsewhere classified)
			An outcome of criminal proceedings whereby a criminal charge(s) has not been proven, for reasons not described elsewhere (i.e. 121, 122, 123). For example, where the charge is struck out, or dismissed by a member of the judiciary due to delays in proceedings or insufficient evidence provided by the prosecution.
200			Transfer of Charges Between Court Levels
			A court outcome ordering that a criminal charge(s) be transferred to another court level (within the same state/territory) to be adjudicated and/or sentenced. Includes: 210 Transfer from a lower court to a Higher Court 220 Transfer from a Higher Court to a Magistrates’ Court 250 Transfer from a Children’s Court to a Magistrates’ Court 290 Other transfers between court levels (not elsewhere classified)
	210		Transfer from a lower court to a Higher Court
			A court outcome ordering a criminal charge(s) initiated in a lower court be transferred to a higher court for trial and/or sentencing. Includes: 211 Committed for trial 212 Committed for sentence 219 Transfer from a lower court to a Higher Court (not elsewhere classified)
		211	Committed for trial
			A court outcome of a committal hearing where a defendant enters a not guilty plea in relation to the charge(s) against them and is subsequently transferred to a Higher Court to stand trial.
		212	Committed for sentence
			A court outcome of a committal hearing where a defendant enters a guilty plea in relation to the charge(s) against them and is subsequently transferred to a Higher Court for sentencing.
		219	Transfer from a lower court to a Higher Court (not elsewhere classified)
			A court outcome resulting in transfer from a lower court to a Higher Court not elsewhere described (i.e. 211, 212).
	220		Transfer from a Higher Court to a Magistrates' Court
			A court outcome ordering that a criminal charge(s) be transferred from a Higher Court to a Magistrates Court to be determined and/or sentenced.
	250		Transfer from a Children's Court to a Magistrates' Court
			A court outcome ordering that a criminal charge(s) be transferred from a Children's Court to a Magistrates' Court to be determined and/or sentenced.
	290		Other transfers between court levels (not elsewhere classified)
			A court outcome ordering that a criminal charge(s) be transferred to another court level not described elsewhere (i.e. 210, 220 and 250). Includes re-hearings ordered by an appellate court, transfers from a Higher Court to a Children's Court, and transfers to Specialist Courts.
300			Non-adjudicated finalisation
			Court outcomes which relate to the completion of a criminal charge(s) which have not been adjudicated. Includes: 310 Defendant deceased 330 Unfit to plead 340 Withdrawn by prosecution 350 Transfer to a non-court agency 390 Other non-adjudicated finalisation (not elsewhere classified)
	310		Defendant deceased
			Following the initiation of a criminal charge(s), the court is notified that the defendant is deceased. As such, the case(s) is unable to proceed.
	330		Unfit to plead
			An outcome of court proceedings where the defendant has been deemed to be incapable of pleading guilty or not guilty to a criminal charge(s) as a result of their mental status.
	340		Withdrawn by prosecution
			The formal withdrawal of a criminal charge(s) by the prosecution (i.e. Police, Director of Public Prosecutions, Attorney-General, or another initiating agency). Includes Nolle Prosequi and No True Bill.
	350		Transfer to a non-court agency
			An outcome of court proceedings whereby the criminal charge(s) has been transferred to a non-court agency.
	390		Other non-adjudicated finalisation (not elsewhere classified)
			Other non-adjudicated finalisations which have not been described elsewhere (i.e. 310, 330, 340 and 350).
900			Not stated/Unknown
			The method of finalisation is not able to be determined.

Sentence type classification

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This classification includes sentence codes, categories and definitions for each sentence type included in the Federal Defendants, Australia collection.

Code			Sentence type and description
100			Custody in a correctional institution
			An order requiring a person to be detained within a facility built especially for the purpose of incarceration.
	110		Imprisonment
			An order requiring a person to be detained for all or part of a specified period of time within a facility built especially for the purpose of incarceration.
		111	Life imprisonment
			An order sentencing a person to life imprisonment. This does not necessarily mean, however, that the person will be held in custody for the term of their natural life. In some instances, the actual time served may be determined by an administrative body such as a Parole Board.
		112	Indeterminate imprisonment
			An order used for persons declared as habitual criminals, persons who are either permanently or temporarily deemed not responsible for their actions because of a mental disorder or intellectual disability, and prisoners who are sentenced to imprisonment but have not had a release date set. The prisoner may be released at any time, at the discretion of the administrative body within each jurisdiction responsible for making that decision.
		113	Imprisonment determined term
			An order requiring a person to be detained for a specified period of time within a facility built especially for the purpose of incarceration.
		114	Imprisonment partially suspended term
			An order requiring a person to be detained for part of the specified period of time, subject to the person being of good behaviour.
		115	No further penalty due to time spent in custody
			The immediate release of a defendant for the reason that the period of detention during judicial proceedings is equal to or greater than the length of custodial sentence that the defendant would have otherwise received. This sentence type applies only to South Australia.
	120		Periodic detention
			An order sentencing persons to custody for two consecutive days in a week (for example weekends), while remaining at liberty during the rest of the week.
	130		Juvenile detention
			An order requiring a person to be detained for all or part of a specified period of time within a facility built especially for the purpose of the detention of juveniles.
		131	Juvenile detention determined term
			An order requiring a person to be detained in a juvenile facility for all of the specified period of time.
		132	Juvenile detention partially suspended term
			An order requiring a person to be detained in a juvenile facility for part of the specified period of time, subject to the person being of good behaviour.
	140		Secure hospital detention
			Detention within locked hospital facilities for the purpose of medical treatment.
	190		Custody in a correctional institution n.e.c
			Detention within a facility built especially for the purpose of incarceration other than already described. Includes boot camps and On Country youth camps.
200			Intensive penalty in the community
			An order requiring a person to have restricted liberty and/or reporting arrangements for a specified period of time while living within the community, which cannot be further defined as to the specific conditions imposed. Includes fully suspended sentences with intensive conditions.
	210		Intensive supervision / reporting
			An order that has a component of restricted liberty and/or requires a person to report to a correctional services or judicial officer on a specified basis.
	220		Home detention
			An order in which a person serves part of a sentence of imprisonment at home or at another approved place that is not a correctional institution.
	230		Electronic monitoring
			A technological means of controlling or monitoring the location of an individual without resorting to imprisonment.
	240		Curfew
			A regulation requiring people to remain at a specified location between specified hours, typically at night.
	290		Intensive penalty in the community n.e.c
			Orders with intensive penalties involving restricted liberty and/or reporting arrangements other than already described.
300			Fully suspended sentence of imprisonment
			An order of imprisonment which provides that all of the sentence not be served, subject to the person being of good behaviour for the length of the sentence.
	310		Fully suspended adult sentence
			An adult order of imprisonment which provides that all of the sentence not be served, subject to the person being of good behaviour. Excludes fully suspended sentences that have added conditions other than good behaviour.
	320		Fully suspended juvenile sentence
			A juvenile detention order which provides that all of the sentence not be served, subject to the person being of good behaviour.
400			Community service / work
			An order requiring a person to undertake a specified number of hours of unpaid work for the community. Should that person breach the order they may be brought back to court and receive another penalty such as a fine, a suspended sentence or a custodial sentence. Includes orders of good behaviour with a condition of community service.
500			Moderate penalty in the community
			Specified restrictions of activities and/or requirements to undertake specified activities while living in the community. Failure to meet the restrictions and requirements may result in further penalties. Includes orders of good behaviour with a moderate penalty condition.
	510		Low intensity supervision / reporting
			An order that requires a person to be supervised by and/or report to a correctional services officer on a specified basis.
	520		Treatment / rehabilitation program
			An order requiring a person to undertake a specified rehabilitation program aimed at behavioural or attitudinal modification.
	530		Education / training requirement (youth)
			Requirement to undertake a program of education or training.
	540		Place / person restrictions
			Restrictions on the locality and/or interactions of the individual (other than electronic monitoring and home detention).
	550		Drug / alcohol bans
			Ban on the consumption of alcohol and/or use of drugs.
	590		Other moderate penalty in the community n.e.c
			Moderate restrictions and/or requirements other than those already described.
600			Monetary penalties
			A sentence order that requires the offender to pay a sum of money, usually in the form of a fine or as recompense to victims. These sentences do not include court levies and fees.
	610		Fine
			A monetary penalty where the offender is required to pay a sum of money to the Crown.
	620		Orders as recompense to victim
			A sentence order that requires the offender to pay a sum of money for a purpose other than a fine, usually in relation to reparation to a victim. Includes restitution and compensation orders.
	690		Monetary penalties n.e.c
			Other monetary orders that are not a fine or an order as recompense to a victim (for example, payment to charity).
700			Good behaviour (incl. bonds)
			An obligation, with or without sureties, aimed at securing the performance of some act by the person bound by the undertaking.
800			Nominal and other penalties
			Various penalties other than already described.
	810		Driver licence disqualification
			An order relating to the cancellation/suspension or amendment of a driver licence, or the review or modification of conditions associated with it.
	820		Firearms and other licence disqualification
			An order relating to the cancellation/suspension or amendment of any other licence or permit, or the review or modification of conditions associated with it.
	830		Forfeiture of property
			The deprivation of a person of their property as a penalty for some act or omission.
	840		Conference or diversion program
			A youth, family, group, restorative justice or community conference, or similar diversion program. Conditions often include an apology, reparation, and/or behaviour management programs. Includes where the charges were subsequently dismissed or withdrawn after successful completion of diversion program/conference.
	850		Sex offender registry
			Registration on a list of sex offenders.
	860		Interlock device
			An order to install an alcohol interlock device on a persons vehicle.
	870		Social media ban (youth)
			Temporary or indefinite ban on the use of social media.
	880		Nominal penalty
			Release of a defendant without an order following sentence that may or may not have conditions attached. Includes Rising of the Court and discharge/dismissal. Â Includes instances where the defendants only penalty is Court costs or levies.
	890		Other penalty n.e.c
			Any penalty other than already described.
900			Unknown/Not stated
			This code is to be used for charge(s) where the sentence type is unknown.

Glossary

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Acts that threaten, harass, or control

Acts that harass, threaten, or invade the privacy of an individual, excluding those offences that amount to assault, sexual assault or blackmail. The action may be face-to-face, by phone, online, written or by other methods. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Subdivision 044 which includes the following Groups:

Stalking (0441)
Threatening behaviour (0442)
Harassment or private nuisance (0443)
Coercive control (0444).

Age

A defendant's age is calculated at the date their matter(s) was finalised in the criminal court, not when the alleged offence occurred.

Agreement of wrongdoing

A method of finalisation whereby the defendant makes an acknowledgement or agreement of responsibility for a wrongdoing(s); or no denial of responsibility; or is believed to have committed an offence and has consented to a conference. May not result in a formal recording of guilt. This method of finalisation is only applicable for Children’s Courts.

Assault

Assault involves the direct and immediate infliction of force, injury or violence upon a person or people, or the direct and immediate threat of force, injury, or violence where there is an apprehension that the threat could be enacted. This may include use of body parts, weapons, heat, light, electrical force, odorous gases, or other methods. Offences in this division do not have a sexual or acquisitive component. Assault offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 02 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Serious assault (021)
Assault of a prescribed officer (022)
Common assault (023).

Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC)

The ANZSOC is a hierarchical classification developed by the ABS for use in the collection and publication of crime and justice statistics. It provides a classificatory framework for the comparison of statistics on offences across Australia and New Zealand. Within the classificatory structure of ANZSOC, divisions represent the broadest categories of offences. The subdivision and group levels provide increasingly detailed dissections of the broad categories.

The ANZSOC 2023 edition is built on the same principles as the ANZSOC 2011, but has been updated to reflect the evolution of criminal offence legislation, language, and social change. The ANZSOC 2023 has also been informed by the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (v1.0), published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Where possible, the structure of the classification and content of offence groups from the ANZSOC 2011 was retained in the ANZSOC 2023 to allow for continuity of time-series data.

Aviation

A federal offence group – includes a range of offences impacting on the operation of aviation and airports throughout Australia.

Burglary

The unlawful entry with the intent to commit a further offence, such as stealing or causing property damage. Entry may be forced or unforced. “Break and enter” offences are considered burglary whether or not theft or property damage occurs. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 06, which includes the following Subdivisions:

Burglary of a dwelling (061)
Burglary of a non-residential building (062)
Other burglary offences (069).

Case

One or more criminal charges, relating to one or more individuals (or organisations), which are heard together by the court as one unit of work.

Charge

An allegation laid before a court by the police, Director of Public Prosecutions, or other prosecuting agency that an individual (or organisation) has committed a criminal offence.

Child abuse material offences

The production, possession, distribution, or display of child abuse material in written, photographic, film, video, digital, or another format. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Subdivision 034.

Child sexual abuse offences

A federal offence group from 2019–20 – includes child sexual abuse offences, child abuse material offences, and using a carriage service to groom a child to engage in sexual activity.

Child sexual exploitation offences

A federal offence group prior to 2019–20 – includes child abuse material offences and using a carriage service to groom a child to engage in sexual activity. This category has now been expanded to include Commonwealth sexual offences against a minor, and re-labelled Child sexual abuse offences.

Children's Court

A lower court level which is presided over by a judge/magistrate and has the jurisdiction to hear cases and sentence criminal charges against persons (generally) aged less than 18 years at the time the offence occurred. May also determine some minor indictable offences and conduct committal proceedings in relation to young people who have been charged with major indictable offences.

Commonwealth officials

A federal offence group – includes offences such as bribing, threatening, harming or impersonating a Commonwealth official. Offences against foreign officials are also included.

Commonwealth property

A federal offence group – includes offences that relate to theft, burglary or damage occurring on, or in relation to, Commonwealth property.

Communications

A federal offence group – includes offences relating to the use of computers, phones, postal service and other telecommunications devices as channels in the carriage of crime, such as threatening others online.

Community service / work

An order requiring a person to undertake a specified number of hours of unpaid work for the community. Should that person breach the order, they may be brought back to court and receive another penalty such as a fine, a suspended sentence or a custodial sentence.

Compound sentences

Compound or complex sentences are those which contain a variety of conditions or components, such as a treatment order, probation order or community service work. The exact nature of these sentences depends upon the magistrate/judge handing down the sentence, who considers factors such as the offender’s criminal history and seriousness of their offence(s). This type of sentencing aims to assign the most appropriate sentence combination for an offender that takes into account rehabilitative and restitution purposes, as well as wider community expectations.

Concurrent sentence

Concurrent sentences refer to sentences that commence at the same time, whereas cumulative sentences are served one after the other. Where a defendant is found guilty for more than one offence, either a concurrent or cumulative sentence may be imposed.

Court level

Represents the level (of court) in which a defendant's case(s) was finalised (refer to ‘Finalised defendant’). Court levels can be distinguished from one another based on the extent of their legal powers (refer to ‘Jurisdiction’). For the purposes of this publication, Court level has been grouped into the following three categories:

Higher Court (Intermediate and Supreme Court)
Magistrates' Court (Court of Summary Jurisdiction)
Children's Court.

Court of summary jurisdiction

Lower courts which are presided over by a magistrate and have the jurisdiction to hear and sentence matters relating to summary (i.e. less serious) offences, or conduct preliminary (committal) hearings for indictable offences. In some circumstances, this court level may also deal with less serious indictable offences known as 'minor indictable' or 'triable either way' offences. Includes Magistrates' Courts, Local Courts or Courts of Petty Sessions (depending on the state/territory), and Children’s Courts.

Custody in a correctional institution

An order requiring a person to be detained within a facility built especially for the purpose of incarceration.

Date of finalisation

The latest date on which all charges laid against a defendant within the one case are regarded as formally completed, and the defendant ceases to be an active unit of work for that particular court level.

Date of initiation

Represents the date in which a defendant’s case is initiated into the court, and can be either the date of committal or the date of registration (depending on the process of entry into that level of court). For defendants committed from a Magistrates' Court to a higher court, the date of committal is used for the date of initiation. For defendants who have any other method of initiation, including direct presentment to a higher court by ex-officio, the date of registration for that court level is used as the date of initiation. Where there are multiple dates of initiation for a defendant (i.e. for different charges) and these charges were all finalised at the same time, the earliest date of initiation is used to derive duration (i.e. length) of a defendant(s) case.

Defence

A federal offence group – includes offences which breach defence force legislation and involve defence force personnel or property.

Defendant

A person (or organisations) against whom one or more criminal charges have been laid which are heard together as one unit of work by the court.

District Court

Refer to: ‘Intermediate court’.

Drug offences

The unlawful trafficking, distributing, dealing, manufacturing, or cultivating of prohibited, prescription, or restricted drugs. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 09 which includes the following Subdivisions:

International drug trafficking (091)
Distribute or deal drugs (092)
Manufacture or cultivate illicit drugs (093)
Unlawful possession or use of drugs (094)
Other drug offences (099).

Drugs

A federal offence group – includes offences relating to the import/export, manufacturing, supply, possession and/or use of drugs or other illicit substances as well as the misrepresentation of licit drug products.

Duration

The time elapsed between the earliest date of initiation and the latest date of finalisation for a defendant whose case(s) has ceased to be an item of work for the particular court level.

Environment

A federal offence group – includes offences related to environmental protection, wildlife conservation and the harming of protected species. Environmental offences related to the sea are counted under the Maritime and Illegal fishing category.

Environmental offences

Environmental offences include acts that cause harm or risk to the natural environment. This includes air, water, land, ecosystems, landscapes, flora, fauna, and other animals. Most but not all offences are regulatory offences. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 16 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Environmental pollution (161)
Environmental management offences (162)
Animal cruelty (163)
Other environmental offences (169).

Ex-officio indictment

The direct laying of charge(s) against a defendant directly in a higher criminal court, by the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Attorney-General.

Federal defendant

A person or organisation against whom one or more criminal charges have been laid under Commonwealth legislation.

Federal offence group

A broad categorisation of federal offences, developed in collaboration with Commonwealth government stakeholders. The federal offence group categories do not relate to ANZSOC 2023; rather, they are amalgamations of Commonwealth Acts/Sections. For further detail and concordance between federal offence group categories and the associated Commonwealth Acts/Sections refer to Federal offence group.

Finalised defendant

A person or organisation for whom, all charges relating to the one case have been formally completed (within the reference period) so that they cease to be an item of work to be dealt with by the court.

Financial

A federal offence group – includes offences relating to the improper handling of finance, such as bankruptcy, import/export of counterfeit money and the improper use of public money.

Fine

A monetary penalty where the offender is required to pay a sum of money to the Crown.

Fraud

A federal offence group – includes offences relating to false or misleading statements for personal gain such as insurance claims, identification and misrepresentation of accreditation. Trademark and copyright infringements are also counted in this category.

Fraud and related offences

The intentional use of deception or dishonesty to obtain a benefit or avoid a disbenefit. This may include a financial gain, personal benefit, or unlawfully gaining access to data, information, places, or opportunities. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 08 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Obtain benefit by deception (081)
Deceptive business practices (082)
Corruption (083)
Unlawful access to information or systems (084)
Other fraud and related offences (089).

Fully suspended sentence of imprisonment

A custodial order which provides that all of the sentence not be served, subject to the person being of good behaviour for the length of the sentence.

Good behaviour (incl. bonds)

An obligation, with or without sureties, aimed at securing the performance of some act by the person bound by the undertaking.

Guilty ex-parte

A determination of guilt made by the court, in the absence of the defendant (that is, without appearing in court), based on the evidence presented in relation to a criminal charge(s). This practice is only applicable for less serious, summary offences.

Guilty finding by court

An outcome of criminal proceedings whereby the court (i.e. Jury, Judge, Magistrate etc.) has determined that the defendant is guilty of a criminal charge(s). This can be a trial outcome where the court finds the charge proven, or a hearing outcome where the court finds the charge proven (and the case was not heard ex-parte).

Guilty outcome

Defendants who either pled guilty, were found guilty by the court or were found guilty ex-parte, and from 2023–24, defendants with an agreement of wrongdoing. Prior to 2019–20, the phrase used for these outcomes was 'proven guilty'. While the phrase has changed, the definition remains the same.

Guilty plea by defendant

A guilty plea to a charge by the defendant (and the case was not heard ex-parte). This is not a trial outcome.

Harm or endanger persons

Acts that threaten, harass, accidentally injure, or neglect a person, or which unlawfully deprive another person of their freedom of movement, such as abduction, kidnapping, trafficking, slavery, or unlawful imprisonment. There is no requirement that the acts are intended to cause harm. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 04, which includes the following Subdivisions:

Human trafficking or slavery (041)
Abduction or kidnapping (042)
Deprivation of liberty or false imprisonment (043)
Acts that threaten, harass, or control (044)
Driving causing serious injury (045)
Other acts that harm or endanger persons (049).

Higher Court

A court presided over by a judge which has the jurisdiction to trial and sentence indictable (i.e. more serious) criminal matters. Includes intermediate court (District or County Court) and the Supreme Court.

Homicide

Homicide, for this statistical classification, covers unlawfully killing, attempting to kill, or conspiracy to kill another person. Legal definitions of homicide may exclude attempted and unintentional acts. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 01 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Murder (011)
Attempted murder (012)
Manslaughter or driving causing death (013).

Human trafficking, slavery and sexual offences

A federal offence group – includes offences of a sexual nature such as sex trafficking, debt bondage and sexual slavery. This group was previously called 'Commonwealth sexual offences' and rephrased in 2021–22 to better reflect the offence inclusions. This category previously included sexual offences against a minor, but from 2019–20 these offences are included in Child sexual abuse offences.

Illegal fishing

A federal offence group – includes offences relating to unlawful fishing in Australian waters, such as fishing without a licence and fishing by foreign vessels.

Illegal use/importation of weapons

A federal offence group – includes offences related to the illegal use or removal of firearms, other weapons and explosives.

Import/export offences

A federal offence group – includes breaches against import and export regulations set out by customs and quarantine control legislation.

Indictable offence

A serious criminal offence as defined by specific Commonwealth, state and territory legislation. Charges relating to indictable offences generally require a trial and/or sentence hearing in a higher court. Under some circumstances, a defendant can elect to have these charges dealt with in a court of summary jurisdiction.

Intensive penalty in the community

An order requiring a person to have restricted liberty and/or reporting arrangements for a specified period of time while living within the community.

Intermediate court

Higher courts which are presided over by a judge and have legal powers that fall between those of the court of summary jurisdiction and a higher court, to trial and sentence matters relating to most indictable (i.e. serious) offences. Includes District Courts and County Courts (depending on the state/territory). Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory do not have an intermediate court and all indictable offences are heard in the Supreme Court.

International

A federal offence group – includes offences initiated overseas or related to foreign persons such as harming Australians overseas, war crimes, recruitment to serve in armed forces in foreign states and the transfer of prisoners across borders.

Judgement

'Judgement' is used in this release as an alternative term for 'adjudicated'. This is where a decision has been made by the court as to whether or not the defendant is guilty of the charge(s) against them.

Jurisdiction

The legal power or authority which may be exercised by a particular court level within which, judgements or orders of the court can be enforced or executed. Each court level has its own defined jurisdictional limits and these vary across states and territories.

Justice

A federal offence group – includes offences related to breach of justice orders, escaping from custody or immigration detention, subverting the course of justice and failure to vote.

Local court

Refer to: 'Court of summary jurisdiction'.

Magistrates' Court

A lower court presided over by a magistrate which has the jurisdiction to hear and sentence summary (i.e. less serious) offences and to conduct preliminary (committal) hearings for indictable offences. In some circumstances, this court level may also deal with less serious indictable offences known as 'minor indictable' or 'triable either way' offences. Includes the Local Court and Court of Petty Sessions (depending on the state/territory). Refer to: ‘Court of summary jurisdiction' for further information.

Maritime

A federal offence group – includes offences occurring in or affecting Australia's maritime environment, excluding illegal fishing.

Mean

The sum of the value of each observation in a data set divided by the number of observations. This is also known as the arithmetic average.

Median

The middle value in a distribution when these values are arranged in ascending or descending order.

Method of finalisation

Refers to the way in which a criminal charge(s) for a defendant has been completed (finalised) by the court, so that it ceases to be an item of work for that particular court level. The Method of finalisation classification presents a full list of the categories/methods of finalisation in scope of this publication, including definitions for each of these.

Migration

A federal offence group – includes breaches of Australian citizenship and migration legislation such as passport fraud, falsely holding a visa and breaking visa conditions.

Miscellaneous offences

Offences involving the breach of statutory rules or regulations, governing activities that are prima facie legal where such offences are not explicitly dealt with under any other ANZSOC 2023 Division. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 17 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Miscellaneous commercial offences (171)
Local offences (172)
Other miscellaneous offences (179).

Moderate penalty in the community

Specified restrictions of activities and/or requirements to undertake specified activities while living in the community. Failure to meet the restrictions and requirements may result in further penalties.

Monetary penalties

A sentence order that requires the offender to pay a sum of money, usually in the form of a fine or as recompense to victims.

National Offence Index (NOI)

The National Offence Index (NOI) provides an ordinal ranking of the offence categories in the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC) according to perceived seriousness, to determine a defendant’s principal offence. The National Offence Index, 2024 associated with the ANZSOC 2023 is available from the ABS website.

n.e.c.

Not elsewhere classified

n.f.d.

Not further defined

Nominal and other penalties

Various penalties not described elsewhere in the sentence classification. Includes nominal penalty, licence disqualification, forfeiture of property, and conference or diversion program.

Offence

Any act or omission by a person (or persons), for which a penalty could be imposed by the Australian legal system.

Offences against government

Offences that negatively impact the effective undertaking of government operations, including the delivery of government services and protection of national security. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 15 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Offences against national security (151)
Offences against government services (152).

Offences against government services

Acts that interfere with, cause harm to, or otherwise negatively impact government services or structures, other than relating to government security. This includes offences against any level of government, and government statutory agencies or agencies that operate under government regulation. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Subdivision 152.

Offences against justice procedures and orders

Offences against justice orders and procedures are acts or omissions that inhibit, hinder, or harm the administration of justice. This includes acts or omissions occurring during justice processes, or as breaches of court-ordered sentencing. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 14 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Breach of restraining order (141)
Offences against justice procedures (142)
Escape custody (143)
Breach of sentencing orders (144)
Offences against other justice orders and regulations (145).

Original jurisdiction

Refers to the power of a court to hear criminal charges against a defendant for the first time (as opposed to on appeal) and determine whether or not a defendant has a guilty outcome.

Other (federal offence)

A federal offence group – includes offences that have not been classified elsewhere.

People smuggling

A federal offence group – includes offences related to the organised movement of people into Australia illegally.

Perturbation

A mathematical technique applied to make small, random adjustments in data to ensure confidentiality and avoid the release of identifiable information. The result of perturbation is that a given published cell value will be consistent across all tables, but the sum of the components of a total will not necessarily be the same as the published total, in some tables. As such, proportions may add to more or less than 100%. Users are advised against conducting analyses and drawing conclusions based on small values, as these are proportionately more affected than large values.

Plea

A formal statement made by, or on behalf of, the defendant in response to a criminal charge that has been laid before a court, indicating whether or not the defendant intends to contest that charge.

Principal federal offence

The offence category, based on ANZSOC 2023, that describes the most serious federal offence type associated with a finalised defendant. The most serious offence is determined by how the offences were finalised and/or the rankings in the National Offence Index, 2024.

Principal (federal) sentence

The main (or most serious) sentence dealt to a defendant with a guilty outcome, based on the hierarchy of the Sentence Type Classification. This classification presents a full list of categories/types of sentences in scope of this publication, including definitions for each of these.

Proceeds of crime

A federal offence group – includes the handling of money or property gained through criminal activity.

Property damage

The intentional or reckless destruction, damage, or defacement of property. The property may be owned by a person, organisation, or group. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 11 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Arson (111)
Damage or destroy property (112).

Prosecution

The legal representatives of the Crown who bring a case against a defendant (for example, police, the Department of Public Prosecutions, or other statutory body).

Public order, health, and safety offences

Public order and safety offences relate to acts that create or increase a risk to community health and safety, or are considered disruptive or offensive. In most cases, these offences do not involve a specific victim, but some offences (such as offensive language or behaviour) may be directed towards one or more victims. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 12 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Public safety offences (121)
Disruptive conduct (122)
Public health regulatory offences (123)
Other public order, health, and safety offences (129).

Robbery, blackmail, and extortion

Acts intended to unlawfully gain money, property, or other items of value from another person by using the threat of force or any other coercive measure. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 05 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Robbery (051)
Blackmail or other extortion (052).

Security

A federal offence group – includes offences related to the security of Commonwealth property such as espionage and treason.

Sentence

A penalty or order imposed by a court upon a defendant who has a guilty outcome for a criminal offence. The Sentence Type Classification presents a full list of categories/sentence types in scope of this publication, including definitions for each of these.

Sexual offences

Sexual offences are acts, or intent of acts, of a sexual nature against another person which are non-consensual or where consent cannot be given. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 03 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Sexual assault of an adult (031)
Sexual assault of a child (032)
Child procurement or grooming (033)
Child abuse material offences (034)
Intimate image offences (035)
Other sexual offences (039).

Social security

A federal offence group – includes making false claim or statement in relation to social security benefits, pensions and allowances.

Summary offence

A criminal offence which is regarded as less serious relative to an indictable offence, as defined by specific Commonwealth, state or territory legislation. Charges relating to summary offences are generally dealt with by a court of summary jurisdiction. However, in some states and territories, a defendant with summary charges may be transferred to a higher court for sentencing (e.g. if the magistrate wants to impose a penalty which exceeds their jurisdictional powers or if they have other indictable offences in the same case that are to be transferred (refer to: ‘Indictable offence’)).

Supreme Court

A higher court presided over by a judge, which deals with the most serious criminal charges and has jurisdiction to trial and sentence matters relating to all indictable offences. In states and territories that have an intermediate court, the Supreme Court is usually reserved to deal with the most serious indictable offences, such as murder.

Tax

A federal offence group – includes tax fraud, failure to lodge a tax return or to pay tax, as well as offences related to non-registered tax agents.

Theft

The unlawful taking or obtaining of money or goods, not involving the use of force, threat of force or violence, coercion, or fraud, to deprive the owner or possessor of the use of the money or goods, or the receiving or handling of money or goods obtained unlawfully. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 07 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Motor vehicle theft and related offences (071)
Theft from a person (082)
Theft from retail premises (073)
Receive or handle proceeds of crime (074)
Other theft (079).

Terrorism

A federal offence group – includes terrorist acts, preparing or training for terrorist acts, or possessing things connected with terrorist acts. From 2021–22, this offence group category has been expanded to include Acts relating to international terrorism or foreign incursion offences, advocating for terrorism, offences relating to control or preventative detention orders, and failure to provide information relating to terrorist acts which are either new offences or were previously coded to federal offence groups of ‘Security’, ‘Justice’, or ‘International’.

Traffic and vehicle offences

Traffic and vehicle offences include offences relating to the licensing, registration, roadworthiness, or use of vehicles. It also includes pedestrian offences. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 13 which includes the following Subdivisions:

Drink or drug driving (131)
Unsafe operation of a road vehicle (132)
Driver licence offences (133)
Vehicle registration and standards offences (134)
Transport regulation offences (135)
Other traffic and vehicle offences (139).

Transport

A federal offence group – includes interstate road offences and parking offences prosecuted under Commonwealth legislation.

Trial

The examination of (and decision on) a matter of law or fact by a court where a defendant enters a not guilty plea or other defended plea. Trials are usually conducted before a judge and jury, whereby the judge rules on questions of law and the jury is responsible for determining whether or not the defendant is guilty (although some states and territories also allow for a trial before a judge only). Defendants can be committed to trial via a committal proceeding, or an ex-officio indictment.

Weapons and explosives offences

Offences involving prohibited or regulated weapons and explosives. These offences are classified to ANZSOC 2023 Division 10 which includes the following Subdivisions:

International trafficking of weapons or explosives (101)
Distribute or deal weapons or explosives (102)
Manufacture weapons or explosives (103)
Unlawfully obtain, possess, or use weapons or explosives (104)
Other weapons and explosives offences (109).

APA

Federal Defendants, Australia methodology

APA

Overview

Scope

Geography

Source

Collection method

Concepts, sources and methods

History of changes

Data collection

Scope and Coverage

Data Source

Data processing

Counting methodology

Transfers

Data Items

Age

Sex

Court levels

Method of finalisation

Principal federal offence

Principal federal sentence

Duration

Revisions

Data release

Classifications

ANZSOC 2023

Federal offence groups

Method of finalisation

Sentence type

Confidentiality

Data comparability

State and territory notes

New South Wales

Queensland

South Australia

Western Australia

Tasmania

Northern Territory

Australian Capital Territory

Transition to ANZSOC 2023 data

Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC) 2023

Show all

Federal offence group

Show all

Method of finalisation classification

Show all

Sentence type classification

Show all

Glossary

Show all

Acts that threaten, harass, or control

Age

Agreement of wrongdoing

Assault

Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification (ANZSOC)

Aviation

Burglary

Case

Charge

Child abuse material offences

Child sexual abuse offences

Child sexual exploitation offences

Children's Court

Commonwealth officials

Commonwealth property

Communications

Community service / work

Compound sentences

Concurrent sentence

Court level

Court of summary jurisdiction

Custody in a correctional institution

Date of finalisation

Date of initiation

Defence

Defendant

District Court

Drug offences