There are three main types of offences: major indictable, minor indictable and summary. The most common offences are dealt with in the Magistrates Court. These offences are relatively minor and are principally summary offences - although included in this category are 'minor indictable' offences which are usually dealt with in the Magistrates Court but, if a defendant requests, may be dealt with in the District Criminal Court. For information about how charges are dealt with in court, see Court - Criminal Matters.

Various Acts create these common offences, but in this section only those offences created by the Summary Offences Act 1953 (SOA) and the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 (CLCA) will be discussed.

Although many offenders are fined or given bonds, many are sent to prison. These convictions remain on police records, and employment applications often require them to be disclosed. Many of those convicted are the inarticulate, the young, the poor, the mentally impaired and the homeless, see effects of criminal convictions.

Questions of law may be raised in relation to these offences, although many cases simply depend on the facts and circumstances. As for all criminal offences, the prosecution (most often the police) must prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.