Information on the gender, age group and ethnicity of offenders is usually recorded by the prosecuting authority (mostly Police) at, for instance, the time of arrest or prosecution.
- The convicted offenders table counts convicted people only, and excludes those prosecuted but not convicted.
- In New Zealand criminal responsibility begins at age 10, however, under the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989, those under 14 cannot be prosecuted except for murder and manslaughter. Charges heard in the Youth Court cannot result in a conviction. However, more serious charges involving young offenders may be transferred to a District or High Court where a conviction is a possible outcome.
- Data on the gender and date of birth (used to calculate the age) of offenders is generally accurate. The age (in years) is calculated at the time the sentence is handed down.
- Measures of ethnicity can be influenced by the context in which they are collected. One of the reasons for this is that a degree of subjectivity is often involved. In a policing context this is particularly problematic, as alleged offenders may not be cooperative. Police ethnicity data is carried through to conviction and sentencing statistics.
- The term “corporation” refers to convictions against companies or organisations (ie not against a specific person).
- Company convictions are grouped in the gender, age bands, and ethnicity categories under the heading “Unknown/Corporation”.
The convicted offenders table is based on people. The notes here detail how people are defined for analysis purposes.