Summary

The Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) is Australia's national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice. The Institute seeks to promote justice and reduce crime by undertaking and communicating evidence-based research to inform policy and practice. The AIC has served successive Australian governments and the criminal justice system for 50 years as the nation’s research and knowledge centre on crime and justice—undertaking and disseminating research, compiling trend data and providing policy advice.

Abolition

Creation

The Institute was established in 1973 by the Commonwealth Criminology Research Act 1971, to centrally collect and analyse national criminological data and provide evidence-based research to government and policing agencies. In late 2010 the Australian Government passed the Financial Framework Legislation Amendment Act 2010, amending the Criminology Research Act 1971.

Functions and activities

Purpose and role

The AIC is Australia’s national research and knowledge centre on crime and justice. The purpose of the AIC is to inform crime and justice policy and practice in Australia by undertaking, funding and disseminating policy-relevant research of national significance.

Functions

The AIC undertakes its functions as set out in the Criminology Research Act 1971, which are:

(a) to promote justice and reduce crime by:

      (i) conducting criminological research; and

      (ii) communicating the results of that research to the Commonwealth, the States, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and the community.

(b) to assist the Director in performing the Director’s functions.

(c) to administer programs for awarding grants, and engaging specialists, for:

      (i) criminological research that is relevant to the public policy of the States, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory; and

      (ii) activities related to that research (including the publication of that research, for example).

The functions of the Director include:

• conducting criminological research, including the collection of information and statistics on crime and justice matters.
• communicating the results of that research, including through the publication of research material and seminars and courses of training or instruction.
• providing information and advice on the administration of criminal justice to the Australian Government and state and territory governments; and
• collaborating both within and outside Australia with governments, institutions and authorities, and with bodies and persons, on research and training in connection with the administration of criminal justice.

Legislation administered

The AIC was established in 1973 under the Criminology Research Act 1971 (Cwlth).

As a Commonwealth statutory authority, the AIC also has responsibilities under the Public Service Act 1999 (Cwlth) and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cwlth).

On 8 October 2015, under a Machinery of Government process, legislative amendments were required to facilitate the merge of the AIC into the ACC, now known as the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC). Until the legislation is passed, the AIC remains an independent legal entity.

Administrative structure

Following a machinery-of-government change in October 2015, staff from the AIC were transferred to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), with the ACIC Chief Executive Officer becoming Director of the AIC. The AIC is part of the Attorney-General’s portfolio and the Attorney-General has ministerial responsibility for the AIC.

The AIC’s research teams were aligned with the Institute’s priority themes:

• Indigenous over-representation in the criminal justice system.
• transnational serious and organised crime.
• cybercrime.
• economic crime.
• family, domestic and sexual violence,
• online sexual exploitation of children; and
• human trafficking and modern slavery. Another team focused on crime and justice statistical monitoring.

In addition, the AIC’s small grants management team administered the Criminology Research Grants (CRG) and the Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards.

Historical agency address

State/regional structure

Records created by the agency

Additional information

End notes

Sources

About Us | Australian Institute of Criminology

Legislation | Australian Institute of Criminology

Australian Institute of Criminology Annual Report 2023–24

Australian Institute of Criminology | Directory

Australian Institute of Criminology - Wikipedia

Superior agency unregistered

Board of Management of the Institute of Criminology