Since 2003–04, government funding for justice services in Australia has experienced an average annual growth rate of 3.4 percent according to the Report on Government Services 2009 (Productivity Commission 2009). Net justice-funded expenditure (i.e. expenditure minus revenue from own sources) finances police services, court administration for criminal and civil matters and corrective services. The total expense for justice services has risen consistently from $9.4b in 2003–04 to over $10.7b in 2007–08. The largest increase in average annual growth for the period examined related to spending on corrective services (up 5.1% per annum on average), followed by criminal court administration (3.5%), police services (3%) and civil court administration (0.7%). Of the total justice system expenditure in 2007–08, police services account for the greatest portion (66.7%), followed by corrective services (22.7%), criminal court administration (5.7%) and civil court administration (4.9%). The proportion of total justice system expenditure for each service type has remained relatively consistent throughout the review period.
Australian government real recurrent expenditure on justice services 2007–08 ($m) [see attached PDF for graph]
References
Productivity Commission 2009. Report on government services 2009. Volume 1: early childhood, education and training; justice; emergency management. Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision.