Introduction

18 Dec

Our court system, like most other official systems, has a hierarchical structure. The High Court of Australia (which is the final court of appeal in Australia) is at the top of the structure. The Magistrates’ Court of Victoria (which is the court most people are likely to come into contact with) is at the bottom. In between are the County Court of Victoria and the Supreme Court of Victoria. Then there are the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) and the Federal Court of Australia, which are both Commonwealth courts.

For the overall structure of state and Commonwealth courts, see the diagram on the next page.

Tribunals are less formal forums for resolving disputes in specialised areas. They have become an important part of the Australian justice system and are discussed later in the chapter.

NOTE: ONLINE COURTS - The court system has developed online courts (mostly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic) and substantially increased the use of audio-visual links. These, in some form, will likely be adopted permanently.