Simplifying sentencing

Media release

Monday, 8 February 2021

The latest edition of the Queensland Sentencing Guide breaks down barriers to help understand how courts sentence adult offenders.

The new edition of the Guide is easier to understand, clarifying the sentencing process for adults, making the information more accessible for the community.

The Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council explains how the state’s courts operate, the different types of courts, how sentences are decided when a person has been found guilty of an offence, different penalty types (from absolute discharge and fines to imprisonment and other orders), information about parole and sentence appeals.

The Council first developed the Guide in 2018 with input from legal and justice agencies including the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, Legal Aid Queensland, Queensland Corrective Services and the Queensland Law Society.

The Queensland Sentencing Guide is just one of the public resources developed by the Council to help inform the community about sentencing, with recent additions including web pages exploring sentencing trends in Queensland, new information on maximum and mandatory penalties, and the launch of four education workbooks and lesson plans to assist secondary teachers present the Council’s popular Judge for Yourself series.

The 2021 edition of the Queensland Sentencing Guide is available to download for free.

The Council is developing a companion publication to the Guide on the sentencing of children and young people in Queensland. The new resource is expected to be released in late 2021.

Media inquiries

Jane Coates
Media and Engagement Manager
0459 887 077 /  (07) 3738 9498

Laura Mac Kenzie
Senior Engagement Officer
0437 967 376 / (07) 3738 9501