GBH Lawyer Cairns — Grievous Bodily Harm — Fixed Fee
$12,000 — Fixed Fee
Grievous bodily harm (GBH) — Cairns District Court plea — from $12,000 Covers : full review of the prosecution brief, conferences with you, negotiations with the Director of Public Prosecutions, sentencing submissions, and all court appearances from committal through to sentence. No hidden fees. One invoice. If your matter is headed to trial, see the District Court page for trial pricing. All fees +10% GST.
- District Court plea — straightforward: $12,000
- District Court plea — complex / multi-count: $15,300
What Is Included
Initial consultation to review your charge, the prosecution brief, and the circumstances of the alleged offence Full review of all prosecution material — medical reports, witness statements, CCTV and body-worn camera footage, forensic evidence Honest advice on the strength of the prosecution case, realistic sentencing exposure, and whether the charge is contestable Assessment of whether the charge…
Grievous Bodily Harm — The Law
Section 320 — Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld) Grievous bodily harm is defined in the Criminal Code as: The loss of a distinct part or organ of the body Serious disfigurement Any bodily injury of such a nature that, if left untreated, would endanger or be likely to endanger life, or cause or be likely to cause permanent injury to health The offence under section 320 is unlawfully doing grievous bodily…
The Assault Escalation Ladder
Understanding where GBH sits in the hierarchy of violence offences is important — because charge negotiations can sometimes move a matter down this ladder: Common assault (s 335) — max 3 years. Dealt with summarily. The broadest assault offence — no injury required. Assault occasioning bodily harm (AOBH) (s 339) — max 7 years. Usually dealt with summarily. Requires bodily harm — bruising,…
Charge Negotiations and the DPP
Once a GBH matter is committed to the District Court, the file moves from Queensland Police Prosecutions to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The DPP is an independent prosecution authority — and in practice, the DPP exercises a greater degree of independent judgment on the charges than police prosecutors do at the Magistrates Court level. This creates an opportunity. Where…
Sentencing for GBH in Queensland
GBH carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment. The actual sentence depends on the nature of the injury, the circumstances of the offending, your criminal history, and the mitigating material placed before the court. For first offenders with genuine mitigating circumstances, non-custodial outcomes or suspended sentences are possible — but they require strong submissions and well-prepared…
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can GBH be dealt with in the Magistrates Court? No. GBH is too serious to be dealt with in the Magistrates Court. It must proceed in the District Court. What is the difference between GBH and wounding? Wounding requires a breaking of the skin — a cut, laceration, or penetrating injury. GBH requires a more serious level of injury: loss of a body part, serious disfigurement, or an injury that…