Penalty unit
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A penalty unit (PU) is a standard amount of money used to compute penalties for many breaches of law in Australia at both the federal, and state and territory level. Fines are calculated by multiplying the value of a penalty unit by the number of units prescribed for the offence. For example, if an offence was committed in New South Wales worth 100 units, the fine would be 100 × $110 = $11,000.
Prior to the introduction of penalty units, fines and other charges were usually prescribed in terms of ordinary money. However, the effects of inflation meant that originally substantial penalties eventually lost their worth. Frequent amendment of the many laws and regulations dealing with pecuniary penalties would be a very time-consuming process. Penalty units provide a quick and simple way to adjust many different fees and charges.
Values
The different jurisdictions that make up Australia each set their own value of a penalty unit. The value as well as the manner and frequency of adjusting that value differ between jurisdictions.
| Jurisdiction | Penalty unit value | Last updated | Automatic indexation mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | Template:AUD (individual)[1] | 8 November 2018 | Reviewed every four years.[1] |
| Template:AUD (companies)[1] | |||
| Commonwealth | Template:AUD[2][3]Template:Update inline span | 7 November 2024 | Template:NtshTypically every three years on 1 July, based on the All Groups Consumer Price Index, a weighted average of the CPI for all capital cities.[4] |
| New South Wales | Template:AUD[5] | 8 December 1999 | Template:NtshNone. As of 26 September 2019[update], the value remains unchanged from the original Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999.[6] |
| Northern Territory | Template:AUD[7]Template:Update inline span | 1 July 2025 | Template:NtshAnnual on 1 July, based on CPI for Darwin.[7] |
| Queensland | Template:AUD[8]Template:Update inline span | 1 July 2025 | Template:NtshAnnual on 1 July.[8] |
| South Australia | Not applicable | — | Template:NtshSouth Australia does not have a system of penalty units.[9] Instead, legislation either lists specific fine amounts or maximum "divisional penalties" which form a standard scale.[10][11] |
| Tasmania | Template:AUD[12]Template:Update inline span | 1 July 2025 | Template:NtshAnnual on 1 July, based on CPI.[12] |
| Victoria | Template:AUD[13]Template:Update inline span | 1 July 2025 | Template:NtshAnnual on 1 July.[13] |
| Western Australia | Various | — | Template:NtshPenalty units are set for different categories of legislation.[9] Traffic offences generally incur a penalty unit of Template:AUD.[14] |
See also
References
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- ^ a b c Legislation Act 2001 (ACT) s 133
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Wallets at the ready: CCA penalty units increasing from today". 7 November 2024.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Fines and penalties".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), section 4AA (Penalty units)". Federal Register of Legislation (Australia). 6 October 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 92, section 17 (Penalty units)". NSW Legislation. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 No 92, section 17 (Penalty units)". NSW Legislation. 8 December 1999. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Penalty units". Attorney-General’s Department (Northern Territory). 1 July 2025. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Sentencing fines and penalties for offences". Queensland Government. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.McKay, Daniel (28 March 2017). "Crimes Amendment (Penalty Unit) Bill 2017". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Acts Interpretation Act 1915, section 28A (Standard scales for penalties and expiation fees)" (PDF). South Australian Legislation. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Divisional penalties and fees". Attorney-General's Department (South Australia). Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Value of Indexed Amounts in Legislation". Department of Justice (Tasmania). Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Penalties and values". Department of Justice and Community Safety Victoria. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Driving offences (speeding, alcohol and traffic)". Department of Transport (Western Australia). 13 June 2019. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
