New Zealand Law Society - Highest conviction rate in Northland

Highest conviction rate in Northland

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Statistics New Zealand's Criminal Conviction and Sentencing Tables show that the Northland court service delivery area had the highest rate of convictions during 2015, with 88.5% of adult charge outcomes resulting in a conviction.

The conviction rate was high across all courts in the region, with 89.9% of all outcomes resulting in a conviction in Dargaville, 88.8% in Whangarei, 88.5% in Kaikohe and 86.9% in Kaitaia.

Outcomes refer to the final disposition of charges finalised in the High Court and District Courts.

Rates varied over the country, with 77.9% of charges in the Auckland service delivery area resulting in conviction. Wellington (79.2%), Otago/South Canterbury (80.4%) and Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast (81.3%) were also relatively low. The Auckland city courts had a conviction rate of 76.2%.

The national average was 83.2%. Bay of Plenty/Coromandel (87.8%), East Coast/Hawke's Bay (87.7%) and Central North Island (87.1%) were closest to Northland in high conviction rates.

Overall, 8.2% of finalised charges resulted in diversion or discharge without conviction. Southern New Zealand had the highest rate, with 11.6% of charges in Otago/South Canterbury and 11.2% in Southland/Central Otago resulting in diversion or discharge without conviction.

The Courts at Queenstown (24.1% of all outcomes) and Alexandra (21.2% of all outcomes) had the highest rate of diversions or discharges without conviction. Oamaru was also high, with 14.3%.

Northland (5.0%), East Coast/Hawke's Bay (5.2%) and Bay of Plenty/Coromandel (5.3%) had the lowest rate of finalised charges resulting in diversion or discharge without conviction. Diversion or discharge without conviction comprised 3.9% of all outcomes in Whangarei courts.

Nationally, 8.4% of charges were not proved. There was national variation again, with 12.2% of charges in the Auckland region not proved, through to 6.1% of charges in Taranaki/Whanganui. In Auckland city courts 13.6% of charges were not proved.

Outcome of finalised charges against adults, year to 31 December 2015

Court service delivery area Outcomes Convicted Diversion, Discharge
without conviction
Not proved Other
Northland 4301 3806 213 271 11
Auckland 13705 10682 1317 1678 28
Manukau 10,213 8400 855 946 12
Waikato 5599 4702 490 389 18
BOP/Coromandel 4770 4188 255 321 6
Central Nth Isld 3853 3357 253 238 5
East Coast/Hawke's Bay 4907 4301 256 340 10
Taranaki/Whanganui 3465 2973 276 210 6
Manawatu/Wairarapa 3844 3227 289 321 7
Wellington 5684 4507 609 543 25
Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast 2989 2430 308 245 6
Canterbury 7515 6505 479 516 15
Otago/South Canterbury 3061 2461 355 236 9
Southland/Central Otago 2687 2207 300 173 7
All New Zealand 76593 63746 6255 6427 165

Proportion of outcomes by region, year to 31 December 2015

Court service delivery area Convicted Diversion Not proved Other
Northland 88.5% 5.0% 6.3% 0.3%
Auckland 77.9% 9.6% 12.2% 0.2%
Manukau 82.2% 8.4% 9.3% 0.1%
Waikato 84.0% 8.8% 6.9% 0.3%
BOP/Coromandel 87.8% 5.3% 6.7% 0.1%
Central Nth Isld 87.1% 6.6% 6.2% 0.1%
East Coast/Hawke's Bay 87.7% 5.2% 6.9% 0.2%
Taranaki/Whanganui 85.8% 8.0% 6.1% 0.2%
Manawatu/Wairarapa 83.9% 7.5% 8.4% 0.2%
Wellington 79.3% 10.7% 9.6% 0.4%
Nelson/Marlborough/West Coast 81.3% 10.3% 8.2% 0.2%
Canterbury 86.6% 6.4% 6.9% 0.2%
Otago/South Canterbury 80.4% 11.6% 7.7% 0.3%
Southland/Central Otago 82.1% 11.2% 6.4% 0.3%
All New Zealand 83.2% 8.2% 8.4% 0.2% 

Statistics extracted from Statistics New Zealand.