In 2023–24, the most common sentencing outcomes in the higher courts (the County and Supreme Courts) were imprisonment (74.5% of cases) and community correction orders (12.9% of cases).
In the 20 years to June 2024, the percentage of cases sentenced to imprisonment increased from 39.6% in 2004–05 to 74.5% in 2023–24.
Wholly and partially suspended sentences are only available for offences committed before 1 May 2011. Consequently, they have become relatively rare, decreasing from 23.4% of sentencing outcomes in the higher courts in 2011–12 to just 1.4% in 2023–24.
Percentage of cases sentenced in the higher courts of Victoria, by sentencing outcome
Source: Court Services Victoria, unpublished data. Note that the data may be subject to revision to reflect amendments to records in Court Services Victoria’s databases.
