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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3846 ..

Mr Wood - Asked the Attorney-General:

(1) In relation to sentences handed down in the Territory by

(a) magistrates and

(b) the supreme court for crimes against the person of

(i) armed robbery;

(ii) assault;

(iii) assault causing bodily harm

(iv) burglary; and

(v) rape; what is

(A) the average sentence given;

(B) the longest sentence given; and

(C) the average percentage chance in the ACT for re-offence.

(2) What ten crimes against the person have suffered the highest level of

(a) growth and

(b) reduction in occurrences in the period between January 1993 and July 1997

and for each of these categories

(i) what has been the

(A) average and

(B) longest sentence

for these crimes, in years handed down as punishment by presiding members of the ACT Supreme Court and;

(ii) what is the average percentage chance in the ACT for re-offence in these crimes by convicted perpetrators.

Mr Humphries - My answer to Mr Wood's question is as follows:

(1) In sentencing a person for an offence the judicial officer concerned is required to have regard to a wide variety of matters which are set out in Part XII of the Crimes Act 1900. These include, the nature and circumstances of the offence, prior criminal record, any injury, loss or damage resulting from the offence, the deterrent effect of the sentence, the prospects of rehabilitation etc.

In the statistics below, the longest and average sentence has, in respect of each category specified, been determined from the head sentence for the offence without taking into account the non-parole period. Periods of suspended sentence, periodic detention, community service orders or release

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