Department of Justice

Queensland Budget 2026-27 · Crisafulli Government

Minister
Deb Frecklington MP
Department head
Director-General Sarah Cruickshank

As at budget day (2026-06-23)

$1.086B
Total expenses
$92.6M
Capital program
$46M
9 tracked measures
4,805
FTE staff

Across budgets

Tracked across 6 budgets (2021-22 to 2026-27).

Key service areas

Courts and tribunalsLegal and prosecution servicesSafety and regulation (Blue Card, QCAT, Births Deaths Marriages)Forensic scienceLiquor, gaming and fair trading

Budget initiatives

Youth Electronic Monitoring$3.2MNewAnnounced

$12.9 million over four years for the expanded and permanent youth electronic monitoring framework under recent youth bail laws.

Funds electronic monitoring (ankle bracelets) for young people on bail under recent youth bail laws.

2026-27: $3.2M2027-28: $3.2M2028-29: $3.3M2029-30: $3.3M

General Government operating, $12.9M over 4 years plus $3.3M per annum ongoing

Queensland Protection Commission (In Plain Sight)$250M totalNewAnnounced

Over $250 million over four years to implement the In Plain Sight child protection reforms, including establishing a new Queensland Protection Commission and a centralised child safeguarding intelligence hub. This is the canonical costed entry for the $250M In Plain Sight package.

Establishes a new Queensland Protection Commission and an intelligence hub to identify people who should not be working with children, implementing the In Plain Sight review into child sexual abuse.

Over $250M over 4 years across multiple departments (Justice, Families, Youth Justice, Health, Education, Police). Includes a $5.7M unified worker screening case management system and the Child Safeguarding Intelligence Hub. The 'Keeping Our Kids Safe' initiative is the Budget Overview framing of this same $250M envelope (not additional).

Keeping Our Kids SafeNot yet costedNewAnnounced

The Budget Overview framing of the over $250 million In Plain Sight package to boost the safety of children at childcare, in schools and in the community, including establishing the Queensland Protection Commission. This is the same envelope costed under the Queensland Protection Commission initiative (not additional funding).

Boosts the safety of children at childcare, in schools and in the community, implementing the In Plain Sight recommendations.

Same over-$250M In Plain Sight / Queensland Protection Commission envelope costed in the 'Queensland Protection Commission' initiative; amount/totalAmount left null here to avoid double-counting.

Additional Judicial Resources$2.5MNewAnnounced

$11.0 million over five years to appoint additional Supreme and District Court Judges to address increasing demand and deliver faster access to justice.

More Supreme and District Court judges to reduce court delays and deliver faster justice for victims and faster resolution of civil matters.

2025-26: $1.4M2026-27: $2.5M2027-28: $2.3M2028-29: $2.4M2029-30: $2.4M

General Government operating, $11.0M over 5 years plus $2.4M per annum ongoing

Forensic Science Queensland Modernisation$13.3MNewAnnounced

$37.1 million over four years to modernise Forensic Science Queensland, clear major crime DNA backlogs and conduct historical case reviews.

Clears DNA testing backlogs and rebuilds confidence in forensic services so criminal cases are resolved sooner and victims get justice.

2026-27: $13.3M2027-28: $10.1M2028-29: $6.7M2029-30: $6.9M

General Government operating, $37.1M over 4 years plus $6.9M per annum ongoing

Essential Justice Services (Judicial Resourcing, Legal Aid, ATSILS)$20.2MNewAnnounced

Combined funding for judges and judicial support ($29.3 million over four years), Legal Aid Queensland ($8.6 million in 2026-27) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service ($1.4 million in 2026-27) to enable faster access to justice.

More judicial support, legal aid and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services so Queenslanders can access justice faster.

2026-27: $20.2M

Combines three BP4 measures: Judicial Resourcing and Support ($29.3M over 4 years plus $3.3M p.a. ongoing), Legal Aid Queensland ($8.6M in 2026-27) and ATSILS ($1.4M in 2026-27). 2026-27 sum shown.

Enhanced Court Systems and Security$4.9MNewAnnounced

$22.1 million over four years for digital court systems and $6.0 million over four years for enhanced security at priority courthouses to improve timeliness and victim safety.

Modern digital court systems and better security at courthouses make the justice system faster and safer for victims.

2026-27: $4.9M

Combines Enhanced Court Systems ($22.1M over 4 years plus $7.3M p.a. ongoing) and Enhanced Courthouse Security ($6.0M over 4 years plus $1.8M p.a. ongoing). 2026-27 sum shown.

Director of Public Prosecutions Frontline Capacity$1.6MNewAnnounced

$10.6 million over four years to enhance prosecution services and bring more cases to court faster.

More prosecutors to bring criminal cases to court faster, reducing delays for victims.

2026-27: $1.6M2027-28: $1.7M2028-29: $3.6M2029-30: $3.7M

General Government operating, $10.6M over 4 years plus $3.7M per annum ongoing

Womensline and Mensline Capacity Boost$31.3M totalExpandedAnnounced

$31.3 million to double the capacity of Womensline and Mensline domestic and family violence support services, plus continued HOPE Hub recovery centres.

Doubles the capacity of Womensline and Mensline so more people experiencing domestic and family violence can get help when they call.

$31.3M to double Womensline and Mensline capacity; complemented by a continued $7.8M HOPE Hub investment. Year-by-year profile not separately disclosed.

Forward estimates

Year-by-year allocations for 6 measures with published forward profiles.

Measure2025-262026-272027-282028-292029-30Total
Youth Electronic Monitoring$3.2M$3.2M$3.3M$3.3M$12.9M
Additional Judicial Resources$1.4M$2.5M$2.3M$2.4M$2.4M$11.0M
Forensic Science Queensland Modernisation$13.3M$10.1M$6.7M$6.9M$37.1M
Essential Justice Services (Judicial Resourcing, Legal Aid, ATSILS)$20.2M$20.2M
Enhanced Court Systems and Security$4.9M$4.9M
Director of Public Prosecutions Frontline Capacity$1.6M$1.7M$3.6M$3.7M$10.6M
Total$1.4M$45.6M$17.4M$16.0M$16.3M$96.7M

Performance metrics

Service standards from the Service Delivery Statement. Targets and actuals as published.

MetricPrior targetActualTarget
2024-252024-252025-26
Backlog indicator (greater than 24 months) — Supreme Court Trial Division Criminal law≤5%5%≤5%
Backlog indicator (greater than 24 months) — Coroners Court≤5%22%≤5%
Backlog indicator (greater than 12 months) — Magistrates Court Criminal law≤15%19%≤15%
Clearance rate (finalisations/lodgements) — District Court Criminal law100%90%100%
Average cost per hour of Court Services Queensland operations$66$67$69
Conviction rate of defendants prosecuted on indictment by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions85%90%85%
Average time to process online blue card applications (where no police or other relevant information is returned)52.15
Total system cost per blue card application finalised$112$110$112
Percentage of Gambling Help clients who report that counselling has helped resolve their gambling problem88%93%88%
Accuracy of life event registration95%98%95%

Source: Service Delivery Statement. Prior target and actual are for 2024-25; target is for 2025-26.

Source document

Service Delivery Statement — Department of Justice (PDF)

Last updated: 2026-06-24. Factual information from published budget documents.