Offences

Criminal offences are committed against the state. A person who is charged with a criminal offence may be arrested and bailed or remanded or summonsed to attend court. Criminal offences can be summary offences (which are finalised in the Magistrates Court or Children’s Court) indictable offences (which can be finalised either in the Magistrates Court or in the Supreme Court) or strictly indicatable offences (Which must be finalised in the Supreme Court).

A person charged with a criminal offence must choose whether to plead guilty and proceed to be sentenced or to plead not guilty and go through a contested hearing or trial.

When a person is found guilty of criminal offences they will proceed to be sentenced by the court. In deciding on the appropriate sentence, the court will be guided by the maximum and minimum penalties stipulated for the offence in the legislation as well as the circumstances

Criminal offences include violent offences like affray and assault, property offences like theft and fraud and drug offences. The ACT also has offences relating to allowing minors to drink alcohol, offences related to betting and firearm offences. This section of the site contains articles about criminal offences in the ACT.