Media Release
Embargoed until 00:01 a.m. (AEDT) Thursday 5 December 2024
The Sentencing Advisory Council has today published new sentencing data for the 10 years to 30 June 2023 for all criminal court jurisdictions in Victoria.
The new report is the second in an annual series that presents data on sentencing in Victoria over a 10-year period, including the number of people sentenced each year, the most serious offences for which they were sentenced, and the types and lengths of sentences they received.
Some of the key data points in each jurisdiction include:
- The Supreme Court sentenced 730 people (including five companies) in the 10-year period, averaging 73 cases per year. The vast majority (83%) of offenders received a prison sentence, with an average duration of 11 years and 9 months (excluding life sentences). Homicide offences were the most common crimes sentenced in the Supreme Court (59% of cases).
- The County Court sentenced 16,600 people (including 92 companies), averaging 1,660 cases per year. Imprisonment was the most common sentence (55% of cases), with an average duration of 3 years and 8 months. The most common offences sentenced were sexual assault offences (19% of cases).
- The Magistrates’ Court sentenced 882,896 people (including 14,402 companies), averaging more than 88,000 cases per year. A fine was the most common sentence imposed (54% of cases), with the average fine amount being $732 for individuals and $3,852 for companies. Traffic and vehicle offences were the most common offences sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court (42% of cases).
- The Children’s Court sentenced 32,358 children, averaging 3,236 cases per year. The most common offences were assault and injury offences (31% of cases). By a slim margin, good behaviour bonds were the most common sentence overall (26.3% of cases). But diversion was close behind (26.2%) and increased each year to 2022–23 when, for the first time ever, diversion accounted for over half of all outcomes in the Children’s Court (54% of cases).
In 2019–20 and the two financial years that followed, COVID-19 restrictions significantly affected court operations. There were fewer cases sentenced, and courts had to prioritise more serious cases, especially where people were held on remand. In 2022–23, there was a return to pre-COVID case levels in all jurisdictions, with the various courts sentencing 81 cases (Supreme Court), 1,744 cases (County Court), almost 94,000 cases (Magistrates’ Court) and 2,242 cases (Children’s Court). In total, there were 97,845 cases sentenced in Victoria in 2022–23, 96% of which were sentenced in the Magistrates’ Court.
Quotes Attributable to Sentencing Advisory Council CEO, Dr Paul McGorrery
‘This is the second annual Sentencing in Victoria report that the Council has produced, offering insights into long-term sentencing trends in Victoria. The report shows that in 2022–23, there was a significant increase in the number of cases sentenced across the jurisdictions, returning to pre-COVID levels. It is a testament to all Victorian courts, especially the Magistrates’ Court, how quickly they cleared COVID case backlogs.
‘The report also shows that fine amounts in the Magistrates’ Court are beginning to increase, especially for companies. For individuals, the median fine in the two most recent years reported was $600, up from $500 each of the previous eight years. And for companies in particular, the median fine in the two most recent years was $1,000, compared to $500 or less in each of the previous eight years.
‘The Council will continue to publish this report annually using the most recent 10 years of data we have available. This will provide government, the media, policy-makers and the wider community with transparent and contemporary insights into sentencing trends in Victoria.’
About the Sentencing Advisory Council: The Council is an independent statutory body established in 2004. It has a number of legislative functions, including conducting research on sentencing, consulting on sentencing matters, publishing sentencing statistics, and advising the Attorney-General on sentencing matters.
