Previous Council publications
The Sentencing Advisory Council was first established in Queensland in December 2010 as an independent statutory body under the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992. It was dismantled in 2012.
Publications released by the former Council can be found below.
Standard non-parole periods
In October 2010, the Queensland Government announced its intention to introduce minimum standard non-parole periods in Queensland to:
- meet community and government expectations in relation to sentencing for serious violent and sexual offences
- increase community confidence in the criminal justice system, and
- promote consistency and transparency in sentencing for serious violent offences and sexual offences.
The Attorney-General asked the Council to make recommendations on which offences should attract a minimum standard non-parole period and the appropriate period for each offence.
The Council recommended the scheme apply to offenders convicted on indictment of a serious offence against the person or a sexual offence, and be sentenced to between 5 and 10 years imprisonment. Offenders would serve a minimum of 65% of their prison sentence before being eligible to apply for parole.
Child sexual offences
In July 2011, the Attorney-General asked the Council to review sentences imposed on offenders of child sexual offending aged 17 years and over and consider what, if any, impact legislative reform has had on sentencing practices and the sentences imposed for child sexual offences.
The Council recommended:
- strengthening legislation for the sentencing of child sexual offences
- ongoing education for judges, magistrates and others involved in sentencing of child sexual offenders in Queensland.
Final report:
Sentencing profiles
The Council started work on a series of research papers looking at previously unpublished information on sentencing for different groups of offenders and for particular offences in Queensland.
Queensland Court Outcomes 2006–10 provides an overview of sentencing activity and outcomes for adult criminal defendants in the Queensland courts. The profile includes information on the number and demographic characteristics of sentenced offenders, types of offences sentenced and sentencing outcomes.
Annual report
View the Sentencing Advisory Council annual report 2010–11 .