Queensland AG announces major overhaul of civil and criminal justice systems

21/07/2009

The Queensland Government has announced sweeping changes to the state’s criminal and civil justice systems as part of its response to a review by the Hon Martin Moynihan AO QC, retired senior judge administrator of the Supreme Court of Queensland.�

The first stage of the reforms will include:

• an expansion in the type of criminal cases to be heard and tried summarily in the Magistrates Court;

• an increase in the criminal jurisdiction of the District Court, from indictable offences with a maximum penalty of 14 years or less, to those with a maximum of 20 years; and

• an increase in the monetary limits for civil disputes in the District Court, Magistrates Court and Small Claims Tribunal (which will form part of the new Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal from December 1).

View Attorney General Cameron Dick's media release>

**21 July 2009 **

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