Conviction and sentencing statistics are now released using the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification. Prior to this, a Ministry of Justice specific offence classification was used. This page contains the tables for the 1980-2008 release of conviction and sentencing statistics using the obsolete offence classification, as well as a description of this classification.
1980-2008 version of tables using obsolete offence classification
Table Builder – prosecuted charges
Table Builder – prosecuted people
Table Builder – convicted offenders
Description of obsolete offence classification
Offences and main offences (the most serious offence that a person was convicted of in a calendar year) were classified into eight categories:
An offender's most serious charge is the one with the most severe sentence, measured by its type and magnitude. The severity ranking of sentence type is in the order as they appear on this page. If an offender receives two or more sentences of the same type during the year, the sentence with the greatest magnitude will determine what charge is represented.
Each of the offence categories has a number of subcategories.
Violent offences
Violent offences involve either a direct act of violence against a person or a threat of violence.
Subcategories are:
- murder
- manslaughter – includes manslaughter involving the use of a vehicle
- attempted murder
- kidnapping/abduction
- rape
- unlawful sexual connection
- attempted sexual violation
- indecent assault
- aggravated burglary – occurs where the offender has a weapon, or uses anything as a weapon, before, during or after a burglary.
- aggravated robbery – occurs where the offender causes grievous bodily harm either immediately before, during, or after a robbery; where the offender commits robbery with at least one other person; or where the offender commits robbery while armed with an offensive weapon
- robbery – is theft accompanied by violence or the threat of violence and includes both robbery and assault with intent to rob
- grievous assault – mostly assault with a weapon, wounding with intent and injuring with intent, but also includes aggravated wounding or injury, disabling, doing a dangerous act with intent, acid throwing, and poisoning with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
- serious assault – mostly common assault under the Crimes Act 1961, but also includes assault with intent to injure, injuring by an unlawful act, and aggravated assault (including assault on a police officer or a person assisting the police)
- male assaults female – these are likely to be mostly domestic-related assaults. They are presented separately for reporting as there is particular interest in trends in domestic-related assaults as the best available proxy for such offences
- assault on a child – assault on a child under the age of 14 years
- minor assault – mostly common assault under the Summary Offences Act 1981
- threaten to kill/commit grievous bodily harm
- cruelty to a child
- other violence – includes demanding with intent to steal offences, but the category also includes using a firearm against a law enforcement officer; commission of a crime with a firearm; inciting, counselling, accessory to, accessory after the fact to, or attempting to procure murder; and killing or injuring a police dog.
Back to Top
Other offences against the person
Subcategories are:
- non-violent sexual – mainly unlawful sexual intercourse, or doing an indecent act with or upon another person; committing an indecent act in a public place; or obscene exposure in a public place. Sexual offences reported in the violent offences category are not included in the figures for this category
- obstruct/resist – obstructing or resisting a police officer, traffic officer, or other official
- intimidation
- other offences against the person – includes leaving a child without reasonable supervision; various endangering offences; and criminal harassment.
Back to Top
Property offences
Subcategories are:
- burglary
- theft
- receiving stolen goods
- motor vehicle conversion
- fraud – includes fraud, false pretences and forgery
- arson
- wilful damage
- other – mostly unlawfully interfering with or getting into(or onto) a motor vehicle or motorcycle; unlawfully taking a bicycle; entering with intent; possessing instruments for burglary or conversion; providing misleading information to obtain a benefit; or misleading a social welfare officer.
Back to Top
Drug offences
Subcategories are:
- use cannabis – includes use or possession of drugs other than for supply
- deal in cannabis
- other cannabis offences – mostly offences relating to possessing pipes, needles, syringes or other drug-related utensils. The category also includes offences where the offender permitted his or her premises or motor vehicle to be used for a drug offence, or where the offender made a false statement in relation to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975.
- use of other drug – includes use or possession of drugs other than for supply
- dealing in other drug
- other drug offences – as per note for ‘other cannabis’ above.
Back to Top
Offences against the administration of justice
Offences in this category are related to the failure to comply with or interference with judicial process, orders and conditions.
Subcategories are:
- breach of community work – breaching a judicially-ordered community work sentence, or associated conditions. (Community work sentences were introduced 30 June 2002 by the Sentencing Act 2002)
- breach of periodic detention – breaching a judicially-ordered periodic detention sentence, or associated conditions. (Periodic detention sentences were abolished 30 June 2002 by the Sentencing Act 2002)
- breach of community service – breaching a judicially-ordered community service sentence, or associated conditions. (Community service sentences were abolished 30 June 2002 by the Sentencing Act 2002)
- breach of supervision – breaching a judicially-ordered supervision sentence, or associated conditions
- breach of conditions of release – failure, without reasonable excuse, to comply with any condition of release from prison. In some previous publications this subcategory was called 'breach of parole'
- failure to answer bail – failure to appear in court at a specified time and place while on bail
- breach of protection order or non-molestation order – non-molestation orders were replaced by protection orders under the Domestic Violence Act 1995
- escape from custody – this subcategory mostly relates to escaping from custody in a penal institution, or escaping from Police custody, but also includes a small number of charges of escaping custody from an institution such as a psychiatric hospital
- obstruct/pervert the course of justice
- other offences against the administration of justice.
Back to Top
Offences against good order
Subcategories are:
- riot
- unlawful assembly
- possess offensive weapon
- offensive language
- disorderly behaviour – mostly behaving in a disorderly or offensive manner, disorderly or threatening behaviour, and fighting in a public place
- trespassing
- other offences against good order.
Back to Top
Traffic offences
Subcategories are:
- driving causing death or injury – charges involving driving with excess alcohol; reckless/dangerous driving; or careless driving where death or injury occurred. It is no longer possible to distinguish data related to charges resulting in injury and charges resulting in death. A small number of those who kill a person while driving a motor vehicle are charged with manslaughter rather than driving causing death
- driving with excess alcohol – mostly charges where a person was driving with excess alcohol, but also includes charges where the offender refused to supply a blood specimen, or was convicted for driving under the influence of drink or drugs. Charges where a person was driving with excess alcohol and caused death or injury are included in the ‘driving causing death or injury’ category in this table
- driving while disqualified
- reckless/dangerous driving
- careless driving
- other traffic.
Back to Top
Miscellaneous offences
All offences not included in one of the previous categories were placed in the miscellaneous category.
Subcategories are:
- offences under the Arms Act
- offences under the Dog Control Act – the offence of failing to register a dog became an infringement offence in 1997 and is no longer included in these statistics
- offences relating to tax acts – the majority of these convictions relate to failure to provide information (including tax returns and tax forms) to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue, and failure to furnish an income tax or GST return
- liquor-related offences – include minors drinking in a public place and, from April 2003, convictions for breaches of local liquor bans
- Fisheries Act offences – include breaches of commercial fishing and freshwater fisheries regulations
- other miscellaneous offences – includes a wide variety of offences such as breaches under: the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992; the Insolvency Act 1967; the Resource Management Act 1991; the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993; the Building Act, the Telecommunications Act 1987; the Medicines Act 1981; and the Conservation Act 1987.
Back to top