Crime in Australia: Hard times for criminals in TAS

Crime in Australia: Hard times for criminals in TAS

Government Report reveals Tasmania has the lowest criminal backlog in Australia
By: Oliver Koester
February 15, 2006
__________________________________________________________________________

THE REPORT on Government Services 2006 recently released by the Productivity Commision reveals that Tasmanian criminals are most likely to face the surpreme court timely as Tasmania had the lowest backlog in criminal cases of any higher court in Australia.

The Surpreme Court of Tasmania had the smallest percentage of pending criminal cases that exceed accepted time standards in the country.  According to the blacklog indicator no more than 10 per cent of lodgements pending completion should be more than 12 months old and none more than 24 months old.

However, no Australian Surpreme Court has reached this benchmark, but Tasmania comes closest. With only 11.9 per cent of cases pending completion at 12 months and 1.3 per cent at 24 months, Tasmania has the lowest rate. The Northern Territory has the highest rate with 27.9 per cent and 13.1 per cent, followed by South Australia (24.7 per cent and 9.3 per cent) and NSW (23 per cent and 9.7 per cent).

The Coroners and Magistrates' Courts of Tasmania is class winner as well. In the Coroners' Courts, Tasmania reported the lowest rate of 36.6 per cent and 17.5 per cent respectively for cases pending at six and 12 months. In the Magistrates' Courts, Tasmania recorded 16.7 per cent and 6.5 per cent at six months and 12 months, compared with a high of 31.2 per cent and 11.7 per cent in WA and a low of 10.3 per cent and 2.5 per cent in NSW.

Moreover, the report showed the nation's homicide rate was down. More than 60 per cent of murder investigations had been completed within 30 days of the crime, but just 20 per cent of unarmed robberies and less than 10 per cent of car thefts were solved in the same timeframe. The homicide rate slipped slightly, break-ins and attempted break-ins were down and there also was a fall in the number of victims of motor car theft. Robbery in general was up, but armed robbery was down.

On health services, the report showed that Western Australia has the lowest survival rate for heart attack victims. In WA, the survival rate was just 14.3 per cent, while in South Australia the survival rate was 35.4 per cent.


Resource:  The Mercury - January 31, 2006