Alterations to Local Court sittings for 2014

19/09/2013

The Office of the Chief Magistrate has written to the president concerning alterations to Local Court sittings for 2014 as a result of funding reductions for a number of magistrate positions on the Local Court Bench and planned building works, setting out the following proposed changes.

Penrith Local Court

Penrith Local Court will close from 24 December 2013 for approximately six months, court user forums have already been held and the planned arrangements on and from Monday 6 January 2014 are:

3 Magistrates will sit full-time at Blacktown Local Court

3 Magistrates will sit full-time at Mount Druitt Local Court

1 additional Magistrate will sit each Monday at Katoomba Local Court

6 Local Court Magistrates will sit full-time at Parramatta Local Court

The Parramatta Coroner’s Court will sit at either the John Maddison Tower or Downing Centre Local Court in the Sydney CBD.

Crime

Springwood LAC – To Bail to Katoomba Local Court

Penrith LAC – To Bail to Blacktown Local Court

St Mary’s LAC – To Bail to Mount Druitt Local Court

DPP matters to be listed (Centralised) at Parramatta Local Court

Domestic Violence List

Springwood LAC - to be listed at Katoomba Local Court

Penrith LAC – to be listed at Blacktown Local Court

St Mary’s LAC – to be listed at Mount Druitt Local Court

Civil Claims

Civil work to be filed at Parramatta Local Court. Small claims hearings to be listed before Assessor at Parramatta.

Parramatta will take some defended work from Blacktown and/or Mount Druitt as required.

Fresh custodies

Springwood LAC - to Katoomba Local Court

Penrith LAC – to be dealt with via AVL at Blacktown Local Court

St Mary’s LAC – to be dealt with at Mount Druitt Local Court via AVL or in person. (A decision regarding this will be made in the near future.)

Justice Health will look at making arrangements for the Mental Health Nurse to be at the Corrective Services Facilities in order to see persons in custody.

Ryde Local Court

Ryde Local Court - the last sitting day will be Friday 20 December 2013. All work is to be redirected to Burwood Local Court. Court User forums will be held to determine the specific details in relation to those listings.

North Sydney, Manly and Hornsby Local Courts

The building works at Manly Local Court are scheduled to complete at the end of this year and sittings to recommence on and from Monday 6 January 2014. It was to be the case that upon the completion of those works, Hornsby would close to allow for further building works, however the Chief Magistrate has now received advice that Hornsby Local Court will not need to close in order for those works to be carried out.

In these circumstances and as a result of the reduction of judicial resources on and from 6 January 2014, no Magistrate will be allocated to sit at North Sydney Local Court. Hornsby and Manly Local Courts will sit with one full-time Magistrate each. Courts User Forums will be held to determine the appropriate listing of North Sydney work at the Downing Centre Local Court.

Future Sitting Changes

Further advice will be forthcoming from the Chief Magistrate in relation to the scheduled adjustments to these sittings:

Wollongong closure – due to close as a result of building works upon the completion of Penrith Building works in mid 2014

Camden sittings are scheduled to cease from 7 July 2014

Kogarah, Balmain and Windsor are also scheduled for alteration from July 2015.

19 September 2013

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