These are the most common sentences / penalties given in Queensland courts.
Good Behaviours Bond
This is the lenient sentence possible. Usually no conviction recorded.
The court may place you on a good behaviour bond. A good behaviour bond is a promise that you will not break the law for a period of time.
You will need to sign a document called a recognisance in which you accept that you have an obligation to be of good behaviour for a period of time and will list an amount of money you must pay to the court if you break the law while under the good behaviour bond.
If you break the law while you are on the good behaviour bond you will have to pay an amount money ordered by the court and the court may issue a warrant for you to be arrested and brought back to the court for the original offence and given a different sentence. (Source: Legal Aid)
Fine
This is the second most lenient sentence possible. Again, usually no conviction recorded.
The court will order you to pay the fine within a certain period of time. If you do not pay the fine in time (called ‘in default’), you may be sent to a jail for a period of time.
For example, the magistrate might say “$200 in default 5 days, three months to pay”. This means that you have three months to pay the $200 fine and if you are in default, you may be sent to jail for 5 days. (Source: Legal Aid)
Community Service
Probation
Jail Sentence
Suspended – Partly or Wholly
Drug Diversion Program
Intensive Correction Order which consider as Imprisonment
Actual Imprisonment
