Legislation administered by the Department of Justice
Legislation administered by the Department of Justice is listed in the statutory rules made under the Administrative Arrangements Order 2025.
All bills tabled in Parliament since 2002 are available on the Parliament website.
Penalty units
Penalty units are used to work out the amount payable for fines for offences, such as drink driving and fishing offences.
Value of Indexed Amounts by Law
All values given on this page are also published in the Tasmanian Gazette before each new financial year.
Under the Penalty Units and Other Penalties Act 1987
For most offences in Tasmania, fines and penalties are given as penalties units.
These units are usually updated each financial year, based on the consumer price index (CPI). They are published below and in the Tasmanian Gazette before 1 June each year.
For 1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027, one penalty unit is $213
Under the Civil Liability Act 2002
Indexed amount to which damages for non-economic loss is limited under the Civil Liability Act 2002.
The amount is adjusted in $500 increments, based on the consumer price index (CPI). In the table below:
- Amount A: If the value is not a multiple of $500, it is rounded to the nearest multiple of $500.
- Amount B is five times Amount A.
For 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027
- Amount A: $7,500
- Amount B: $37,500
Defamation Act 2005
Indexed amount to which damages for non economic loss is limited under the Defamation Act 2005.
Provides for the periodic indexation of the amount to which damages for non economic loss is limited.
The value is calculated by the percentage change in the amount (estimated by the Australian Statistician) of the average weekly total earnings of full-time adults in Australia, over the four quarters before the date of the declaration. The revised figure is rounded to the nearest multiple of $500.
1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027
- $520,000
Variation of Trusts Act 1994
The Variation of Trusts Act 1994 allows the Attorney-General to vary charitable trusts where the value of the trust does not exceed certain amounts.
Approval for the variation of trusts which exceed those limits must be sought from the Supreme Court.
Section 7 of this Act sets out the monetary limits of the Attorney-General’s powers but provides that alternative amounts may be prescribed by regulation.
Prescribed limits
By the Variation of Trusts Regulations 2024, the amounts in Section 7 were increased (with effect from 10 December 2024) as follows:
- The prescribed amount in relation to any trust property is $500,000, whether that property consists of, or includes, real property or personal property.
Magistrates Court (Civil Division) Act 1992
The Magistrates Court (Civil Division) has jurisdiction to deal with civil claims that:
- fall within the monetary limits of the Court prescribed for section 7 of the Magistrates Court (Civil Division) Act 1992 (the Act), or
- are considered ‘minor civil claims’ under section 3 of the Act.
Matters over the jurisdictional limit of the Civil Division fall within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
The Magistrates Court's general civil jurisdiction is currently capped at $50,000 inclusive.
The Magistrates Court (Civil Division) (Minor Civil Claims) Regulations 2023 prescribe $15,000 as the monetary limit for ‘minor civil claims’ for section 3 of the Act.
Prescribed limits
The Magistrates Court (Civil Division) (Minor Civil Claims) Regulations 2023 prescribe the following matters as minor civil claims:
- proceedings for damages under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997, if the amount claimed does not exceed $15,000
- proceedings under any provision of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 that confers a right to apply to or appeal to the Court
- proceedings under any provision of the Irrigation Clauses Act 1973 that confers a right to apply to or appeal to the Court
- proceedings under any provision of the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992 that confers a right to apply to or appeal to the Court.
Community consultation
When the Department proposes new or amended legislation that requires consultation, it invites public comment.
Refer to Community consultation and review.