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Categories of Offenses

First, it’s important to understand the broad categories these offenses fall into:

Summary Offences: Less serious crimes heard by a magistrate in a Local Court (e.g., offensive language, minor assaults).

Indictable Offences: More serious crimes heard by a judge and jury in a District or Supreme Court (e.g., murder, armed robbery, large-scale fraud). Some less serious indictable offenses can also be heard summarily.

Commonwealth Offences: Crimes against federal law (e.g., Centrelink offences, using a carriage service to menace).

Whether its sexual offences, domestic violence, assault, threats, harassment, internet crime, child pornography, fire arms and weapons, drug offences, tax evasion, breach of bail, appeals, property fraud and theft. We also appear in all courts over New South Wales and all children and Juvenile courts.

Speak to our lawyer that specialises in the area of Criminal law in Sydney.

Breakdown of Each Offense

  • Affray: The use or threat of unlawful violence in a public place that would cause a person of reasonable firmness to fear for their safety. It is a public order offense.
  • Assaults: The direct or indirect application of force to another person without their consent, or the threat to do so, which causes the other person to fear immediate violence. This can range from common assault to more serious forms.
  • Assault Police: Assaulting, stalking, harassing, or intimidating a police officer while they are executing their duty. This is treated more severely than assaulting a civilian.
  • Attempts To Choke: A specific and serious domestic violence offense that involves impeding another person’s breathing or circulation of blood with intent to commit another indictable offense.
  • Break and Enter: Entering a building or land without permission with the intent to commit a serious crime inside (typically larceny). “Break” can mean forcing entry or entering through an already open door/window.
  • Centrelink Offences: Commonwealth offenses relating to social security fraud. This includes obtaining a payment by deception (e.g., lying about income) or failing to notify of a change in circumstances that affects payment.
  • Contravene Apprehended Violence Order (AVO): Breaching any of the conditions set out in an AVO (e.g., approaching a protected person, contacting them, being near their home). This is a criminal offense.
  • Conveying False Information that a Person or Property is in Danger: The crime of making a hoax threat, such as a false bomb threat or a false report of a dangerous person, causing alarm and wasting police resources.
  • Custody of Knife in Public Place: Having a knife in your possession in a public place or school without a lawful excuse (e.g., for your work, for religious purposes, or for use in a lawful recreational activity).
  • Domestic Violence Offences: Not a single offense but a category. It encompasses various crimes (assault, choke, stalk, destroy property, contravene AVO) committed against a person with whom the offender has or had a domestic relationship.
  • Drug offences: A broad category including possession, use, cultivation, supply, trafficking, and manufacturing of prohibited drugs.
  • Firearms and weapons: Offenses related to the possession, acquisition, supply, and use of prohibited firearms, weapons, or ammunition without the appropriate license or permit.
  • Fraud or Obtain Benefit by Deception: Dishonestly obtaining property, money, or a financial advantage from another person through deception.
  • Goods in Custody: Having possession of suspected stolen goods where the person has no reasonable explanation for how they obtained them.
  • Independent Commission Against Corruption Proceedings (ICAC): Offenses related to ICAC investigations, such as giving false evidence, obstructing the Commission, or corruptly influencing a witness.
  • Intentionally or recklessly destroy property: Damaging or destroying property that belongs to someone else. “Recklessly” means being aware that damage would likely occur but doing it anyway.
  • Kidnapping – Take/detain person for advantage: Taking or holding a person against their will without lawful excuse, with the intention to commit another serious offense (e.g., to get a ransom or to commit a sexual assault).
  • Larceny: The legal term for theft. It involves taking property belonging to someone else without their consent and with the intention to permanently deprive them of it.
  • Larceny: The legal term for theft. It involves taking property belonging to someone else without their consent and with the intention to permanently deprive them of it.
  • Manslaughter: The unlawful killing of another person without the intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm. It often occurs where the death was the result of a reckless or negligent act.
  • Murder: The unlawful killing of another person with the intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm.
  • Offensive Conduct: Behaving in a way that is likely to cause outrage or anger in a public place, such as violent or obscene behaviour.
  • Offensive Language: Using language in a public place that is likely to cause offense to a reasonable person. This is a common summary offense.
  • Participating in a Criminal Group: Knowingly participating in a criminal group and contributing to criminal activity. This is a serious offense aimed at combating organized crime.
  • Perverting the Course of Justice: Acting in a way that undermines or obstructs the proper administration of justice. This includes witness intimidation, jury tampering, fabricating evidence, or lying to police.
  • Police Pursuit: The offense of knowingly driving a vehicle to flee police during a pursuit. It is a serious offense due to the danger it poses to the public.
  • Proceeds of Crime: Dealing with money or property that is derived from criminal activity. Legislation allows authorities to confiscate these assets.
  • Possess Housebreaking Implements: Being in possession of tools (e.g., crowbars, lock picks) with the intent to use them to break into a building and commit a crime.
  • Receiving stolen goods: Knowingly receiving or disposing of property that has been stolen.
  • Resist Arrest or hinder police: Actively opposing or struggling against a police officer who is attempting to make a lawful arrest, or hindering them in the execution of their duty.
  • Robbery: Stealing property from a person using violence or the threat of violence.
  • Robbery in company and armed robbery: More serious forms of robbery. Robbery in company involves multiple offenders. Armed robbery involves the use of a weapon.
  • Sex offences: A broad category including sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, indecent assault, acts of indecency, and sexual intercourse without consent.
  • Soliciting Prostitution: The act of offering or agreeing to pay for sexual services in a public place. The laws around prostitution are complex and vary by state.
  • Stalk-Intimidate: A serious offense involving following, watching, or repeatedly contacting a person with the intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm. It is a key domestic violence offense.
  • Throwing Rocks & Other Objects on Vehicles or Vessels: A specific and extremely dangerous offense of throwing objects at moving vehicles or boats, risking serious injury or death to the occupants.
  • Unlawful Entry on enclosed Lands: Entering or remaining on fenced or private land (e.g., a backyard, a commercial property) without a lawful excuse. This is a common trespassing offense.
  • Using Intoxicating Substance to Commit an Indictable Offence: Using alcohol or drugs (an intoxicating substance) to overcome a person’s resistance to facilitate the commission of a serious crime (like a sexual assault or robbery).
  • Use Carriage Service to Menace, Harass or Offend: A Commonwealth offense involving using a phone, internet, or other telecommunications service (a “carriage service”) to make threats, harass, or cause offense to another person. This covers cyberbullying, threatening emails, and abusive phone calls

Violent and Public Order Crimes

  • Assault Charges: (Common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm)
  • Affray:Public brawling or violent disorder charges.
  • Murder and Manslaughter: Homicide offence defence lawyers.
  • Domestic Violence Offences: AVO applications, breaches, and assault charges in a domestic context.
  • Attempt to Choke: Serious domestic violence charge defence.
  • Kidnapping: Unlawful imprisonment or detainment charges.
  • Offensive Behaviour / Language: Public order offences and fines.
  • Throw Objects at Vehicles: Dangerous conduct causing risk to drivers.

Theft, Property, and Fraud Crimes

  • Theft / Larceny: Lawyers for stealing charges.
    Break and Enter: B&E, burglary, and unlawful entry charges.
  • Robbery: Armed robbery and robbery in company charges.
  • Fraud: Obtain financial benefit by deception lawyers.
  • Centrelink Fraud: Commonwealth social security fraud defence.
  • Receive Stolen Goods: Handling stolen property charges.
  • Goods in Custody: Possession of suspected stolen items.
  • Destroy or Damage Property: Wilful damage charges.
  • Possess Housebreaking Tools: Lawyers for possessing implements for burglary.

Weapons and Drug Crimes

  • Drug Possession and Supply: drug charges.
  • Weapons Charges: Custody of a knife or gun in a public place.
  • Firearms Offences: Unlicensed or illegal firearm possession.

Justice and Police Offences

Resist Arrest: Hindering or obstructing police.
Assault Police: Charges for assaulting an officer.
Police Pursuit Charges: evade police charges.
Pervert the Course of Justice: Interfering with an investigation or trial.
Contravene AVO: Breach of Apprehended Violence Order lawyers.
False Information: Making a hoax threat or false report.

Other Serious Criminal Charges

Sexual Assault: Indecent assault and serious sex crimes defence.
Criminal Group Charges: Participating in a criminal organisation.
Proceeds of Crime: Defending asset confiscation and seizure.
ICAC Offences: Defence for Independent Commission Against Corruption matters.
Use Carriage Service to Menace: Online threats, cyberbullying, and harassing phone calls.