Your first day at court

If you are new to the Court, finding your way around the Courthouse can take some time. Make sure you arrive at Court early so you can find where to go and prepare for your case.

What to Wear

Court proceedings are serious and people attending Court are expected to dress appropriately. You do not have to wear formal or business attire, however, you should aim to be neat and tidy.

Court Security

Many Courts have airport-style security. You and your belongings may be scanned and prohibited items such as knives will not be permitted in the court building.

Find out more about court security

Find the right Courtroom

When you arrive, you need to check which Courtroom your case will be heard in, as many Courthouses have more than one Courtroom.

Find the printed Court list, which should be displayed in the foyer. The Court list will show the name of the case and the Courtroom. If you cannot find your case, go to the Registry office and ask for assistance.

Contact a Court Officer

Go to the Courtroom where your case is listed and let the Court Officer know that you have arrived. Court Officers are officials who assists in court. They will usually wear a badge and will be going in and out of the Courtroom calling names and checking who is there. The Court Officer will tell you where to wait, usually inside the Courtroom or just outside the Courtroom.

They will ask you some questions about your case so they can let the Magistrate know the status of the case. For example, they may need to know if you intend on pleading guilty or need an adjournment. Be sure to tell the Court Officer if you are leaving the area at any time so your case is not heard without you.

If a lawyer is representing you, find your lawyer and work out where to wait until your case is called.

What Information can Court Staff Give?

Court staff can provide you with certain information relating to your matter, but they cannot give legal advice.

Court staff can:

Explain and answer questions about how the particular Court or Tribunal works
Give you general information about Court or Tribunal rules, procedures and practices
Give information about providers of free legal advice
Provide or direct you to Court lists
Provide information about how to get a case listed
Give you some information about your case file
Give you the Court, Tribunal or Registry forms that are available
Answer questions about where to access Court decisions.

Court staff cannot:

Give you legal advice - only a legal practitioner can give you legal advice
Tell you whether or not you should bring your case to a Court or Tribunal
Give you an opinion on what will happen if you bring your case to a Court or Tribunal
Advise you on the division of a Court or Tribunal in which to commence an action
Tell you what words to use in your Court or Tribunal papers
Tell you what to say in a Court or Tribunal
Talk to the Magistrate on your behalf
Let you talk to the Magistrate outside of Court
Change an order signed by a Magistrate, Judge or Commissioner.

Special Waiting Areas and Safe Rooms

If you are at Court for a domestic and family violence matter, you may be able to wait in a safe room. Check with the Court Officer if there is a safe room or Court support service staff who can assist you.

Find out more at Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Services.

When Will Your Case Be Heard?

The Magistrate decides the order of cases. If you have a lawyer, they will sit at the table in the Courtroom (called the bar table) and wait for the Magistrate to ask which case they are appearing in. If you are representing yourself, the Court Officer will let the Magistrate know that you are there. The Court Officer will call the name of your case when it is your turn to speak to the Magistrate.

What will you see in the Courtroom?

Courtrooms vary greatly in appearance depending on which Court you are attending. You may enter a very modern Courtroom, or you may enter a more traditional wood panelled Courtroom.

Magistrates wear black robes but no wigs. There are no juries in the Local Court; your matter will be decided by a Magistrate alone.

One way to prepare for a Court case is to visit a Courtroom a few weeks before and watch what happens in a case. The public are allowed to attend most Court hearings, excluding domestic and family violence matters or anything in the Children's Court. You cannot enter a Courtroom that has a sign that says “Closed Court”.

How to behave in Court

Courts operate with some formalities such as bowing and standing to speak. You will see that many people bow when they enter and leave the Courtroom. This is to show respect to the Court.

In Court you should:

Switch your mobile phone to silent
Not use your mobile phone
Not eat or drink, except for water
Sit quietly and avoid conversation
Not interrupt proceedings
Not take photographs
Not make audio recordings of proceedings

You may want to send someone a text message, but if the Magistrate thinks you are doing something illegal, such as recording or photographing, you could be asked to leave Court or be arrested. It is an offence to record or photograph proceeding without permission of the Court.

When your case is called and the Magistrate is speaking to you, you should stand up whenever you speak. You will be asked to stand at a microphone or to sit at the table which is called the bar table. You should not walk between the Bar Table and the Magistrate’s Bench.

Address the Magistrate as 'your Honour' when you speak to them.