The normal rostered sittings of the Local Court are suspended on and from Monday 23 December 2024 and recommence on Monday 6 January 2025.

Local Court - Persons in custody - On weekdays that are not Public Holidays

Statewide arrangements

Magistrates will be rostered at Parramatta Local Court to determine bail for adult persons, who remain in custody and to consider any urgent applications for Apprehended Violence Orders that are lodged state-wide.

All adults remanded in custody are to be dealt with via Audio Visual Link (AVL) facilities at Parramatta Local Court.

There will be no appearances in person. Appearances will be in accordance with the agreed standard operating procedures for centralised bail courts. The telephone contact for Parramatta Local Court is (02) 8688 4090.

Please Note: 20 December 2024

The Chief Magistrate has approved a Chamber Day on Friday 20 December 2024. Bail matters for the State will be centralised to Parramatta Local Court.

Local Court – custody (weekends and public holidays)

Magistrates will be rostered at Parramatta Children’s Court to determine bail for adult persons and to consider any urgent applications for Apprehended Violence Orders that are lodged state-wide.

All adults remanded in custody are to be dealt with via Audio Visual Link (AVL) facilities at Parramatta Children’s Court.

There will be no appearances in person. Appearances will be in accordance with the agreed standard operating procedures for the centralised bail courts.

Domestic and Personal Violence – Police Informants

Police may apply for urgent orders during business hours to the Central Justice Panel by forwarding a prepared ‘Provisional (Ex Parte) Apprehended Violence Order’ to the court.

Police may also apply for urgent orders 24 hours per day through the ‘electronic transfer inbox’, [email protected]. Please note Central Justice Panel operates from 8am to 3pm, the Extended Registry from 3pm to 11pm and Authorised Justices on the ‘After Hours’ roster between 11pm and 8am.

Urgent AVO’s – Private Informants

A Magistrate will be available at Parramatta Local Court on weekdays that are not public holidays to determine urgent applications only during Court sitting hours.

For further information regarding these arrangements, please contact local-court-[email protected].

LEPRA Applications

Parramatta Local Court will action LEPRA between 8am and 4pm on weekdays that are not Public Holidays and the Extended Registry/AHJP will action outside of these times.

CHILDRENS COURT ARRANGEMENTS

Children’s Court (weekdays that are not public holidays)

Magistrates will be rostered at Parramatta Children’s Court to determine bail applications, urgent applications for Apprehended Violence Orders and urgent applications for care and protection orders from across the state.

Children’s Court (weekends and public holidays)

A Magistrate will be rostered at Parramatta Children’s Court to determine bail applications, urgent applications for Apprehended Violence Orders.

Bail proceedings

First appearance bail applications from across the state will be dealt with by AVL at Parramatta Children’s Court each day including public holidays.

Standard Operating Procedures have been developed and agreed between agencies setting out processes for 3 categories

a) AVL from Youth Justice Centre’s

b) AVL from police stations that are more than 2 hours from a Youth Justice Centre

c) AVL from police stations that are less than 2 hours from a Youth Justice Centre with approval of the Court.

Care and protection applications

Applications for an emergency care and protection order under s46 of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act or an application for an interim order where a care application is made following the removal or assumption into care of a child or young person under s45 of the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act are to be listed at Parramatta Children’s Court on a weekday that is not a public holiday during the court vacation period.

Legal practitioners are to appear in accordance with Public Notice 15 or any subsequent Public Notice.

Standard Operating Procedures for the listing of urgent Care and Protection applications during this period have been developed with local stakeholders.

Domestic and Personal Violence applications

In the ordinary course provisional orders are to be listed after 6 January 2025. However, urgent applications for interim domestic and personal violence orders or urgent interim variations of domestic and personal violence orders may be listed at Parramatta Children’s Court on a weekday that is not a public holiday during the court vacation period but only following consultation with the registrar of Parramatta Children’s Court.

General enquires: Parramatta Children’s Court: ph: 8688 1888, fax: 8688 1999 or by email [email protected]

Any urgent enquiries during the court vacation period should be directed to:

Weekdays: Olga Quevedo, Acting Registrar, Parramatta Children’s Court on 8688 1420 or 0478 622 507 (after hours)

Weekends and Public Holidays: Deputy Registrar, Parramatta Children’s Court on 8688 1442.

Please Note: Friday 20 December 2024 Magistrates’ Chamber Day.

GENERAL INFORMATION – BAIL VARIATIONS

Should a person attend a Police station anywhere in NSW during this period regarding applications to vary bails they should be asked to call the New South Wales Courts Service Centre (NSWCSC) on 1300 679 272. Upon receiving a call, the NSWCSC will provide assistance and if necessary, directly transfer the person to a senior staff member at Parramatta Local Court or, in appropriate circumstances, Parramatta Children’s Court. In limited circumstances, an authorised justice may grant a bail variation if there is no objection by the prosecutor, or in the case of a young person, the application may be listed before the court.

For Children’s Court bail variations, the young person should contact either the Children’s Legal Service on 1800 101 810 or the Aboriginal Legal Service on 1800 765 767 for advice and representation.

CORONIAL ARRANGEMENTS

The Coroners Court Registry will be open on all days except the Public Holidays (Christmas Day Public Holiday, Wednesday 25 December 2024, Boxing Day Public Holiday, Thursday 26 December 2024, and New Year’s Day Wednesday 1 January 2025).

The Forensic Medicine office at FMCCC (Forensic Medicine and Coroner’s Court Complex) is closed to the public on Monday 30 December 2024 as this is a NSW Health public holiday. Any clients attending Forensic Medicine on this day will be directed to call the Court registry who will attend at the entrance to accept any documents seeking to be filed.

During the two-week Christmas - New Year period, a duty Senior Coroner will be available during normal business hours at the State Coroner’s Court for all deaths reported in NSW. The duty Senior Coroner is also available 24 hours on call for urgent issues arising out of hours.

Christmas and New Year Coronial Reporting Arrangements for the Coroner’s Court are being developed and will be distributed by the Coroner’s Court to impacted stakeholders.

Further information regarding arrangements for the Coroners Court can be provided by Alex Jobe, Manager, Coronial Operations via email to: [email protected].

DISTRICT COURT ARRANGEMENTS

The District Court summer vacation will commence at the conclusion of sittings on Friday 20 December 2024. A duty Judge will be available to hear any urgent matters, by arrangement only, from Monday 6 January 2025. Please contact [email protected] to obtain a listing date or request further information.

Sydney District Court will resume sitting on a limited basis from 13 January 2025. Gosford District Court will resume sitting from 20 January 2025. Queanbeyan District Court will sit from 28 January 2025. All other locations will commence sitting from Monday 3 February 2025, the first day of the Law Term.

Further information regarding arrangements for the District Court can be provided by Martin Kane, Director Metro via email to: [email protected].

DRUG COURT ARRANGEMENTS

The Drug Court Registries will be open throughout this period as below:

DRUG COURT SITTING DAYS:

PARRAMATTA

Mon 23 December 2024

Tues 24 December 2024

Mon 30 December 2024

Tues 31 December 2024

Thurs 2 January 2025

HUNTER

Mon 23 December 2024

Mon 30 December 2024

Tues 31 December 2024

SYDNEY

Mon 23 December 2024

Tues 24 December 2024

Mon 30 December 2024

Tues 31 December 2024

Thursday 2 January 2025

DUBBO

Mon 23 December 2024

Mon 30 December 2024

Further information regarding arrangements for the Drug Court can be provided by Filiz Eminov, Registrar, Drug Court via email to: [email protected].

DUST DISEASES TRIBUNAL

The Dust Diseases Tribunal Registry will be closed from 4:00pm Friday 20 December 2024 and re-open on Monday 6 January 2025 at 9:00am. For urgent matters please email:

[email protected] or telephone 0411 023 169 (text message not available).

REGISTRY SERVICES

Parramatta Local Court, Parramatta Children’s Court and Parramatta Drug Court will be open for urgent enquiries only.

All other registries across the State will be closed to the public subject to the exceptions for Drug Court as outlined above.

ALTERNATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR ACCESSING REGISTRY SERVICES

The NSWCSC will manage telephone calls for all Local Court Registries State-wide and will contact a Senior Registry Officer at Parramatta to facilitate urgent police applications, urgent personal and domestic violence applications, applications for variations of bail and urgent civil notices of motion/applications.NOTIFICATION OF CLOSURES TO COURT USERS

The following action will be taken to advise stakeholders and members of the public of amended opening hours:

• Signage on entry doors

• Website updated with opening hours, NSW Court Service Centre (NSWCSC) contact

number and registry mailbox address

• Local stakeholders including Police and legal practitioners notified

• Court User Forums held to advise of Christmas-New Year closures and alternative

contact methods.

COURT SERVICES DIRECTOR ON CALL

A Court Services Director will be on call during the shutdown period to manage any urgent issues that arise. The Directors on call are:

From 20 December 2024 to 27 December 2024 – Grace Romeo, Director Greater Metro Region via email to: [email protected] or mobile 0402 892 653.

From 28 December 2024 to 5 January 2025 - Martin Kane, Director Metro Region via email to: [email protected] or mobile 0419 509 628.