NSW Dubbo Supreme Court List Today

The daily list above shows matters set down for the Supreme Court of New South Wales when it sits on circuit at the Dubbo Court House. Because the Supreme Court is based permanently in Sydney and travels to regional centres only when the Court orders a trial or hearing to take place there, a single listed matter on any given day is normal for Dubbo. Checking this Dubbo Supreme Court list before you travel confirms whether the Court is sitting, which courtroom your matter is in, and the scheduled start time, without needing to phone the registry.

Names on the list are partially masked for privacy, and listings can change at short notice. Always confirm the details against the NSW Online Registry or with the court registry before attending, particularly for circuit sittings where dates are fixed in advance and can be vacated if a matter settles or a plea is entered.

What the Supreme Court of NSW Does

The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest court in the state and a superior court of record, which means it holds inherent jurisdiction in addition to the powers given to it by statute. It was established in its modern form under the Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), but its history runs far deeper: the Court first sat on 17 May 1824, and in 2024 it marked the bicentenary of that first sitting. The Court is led by Chief Justice Andrew Bell and is served by more than 50 permanent judges across its divisions.

In the NSW court hierarchy, the Local Court hears summary matters and civil claims up to $100,000, the District Court deals with most indictable offences and civil disputes between $100,001 and roughly $1.25 million, and the Supreme Court sits above both. It has unlimited civil jurisdiction and reserves the most serious criminal offences for itself, so when the Supreme Court comes to Dubbo it brings the top tier of the justice system to the Orana region.

Matters Heard by the Supreme Court on the Dubbo Circuit

The Supreme Court circuit at Dubbo covers the categories of work that only this Court can determine, along with civil and appeal business that benefits from a regional hearing. The main types of matters are set out below.

Serious Criminal Trials

On indictment, the Supreme Court deals with the gravest offences in the criminal calendar, including murder, terrorism, treason, and any offence for which the maximum penalty is life imprisonment. Criminal trials are usually heard by a judge and a jury of 12, although an accused may apply for a judge-alone trial. Running these trials on circuit spares witnesses, jurors and families the long trip to Sydney, since Dubbo lies around 400 kilometres by road to the north-west of the capital.

Not every serious NSW matter starts in the Supreme Court. Most indictable charges are committed for trial or sentence from the Local Court first, and many are then finalised in the Dubbo District Court rather than here. If your listing sits below the Supreme Court threshold, or you are checking a committal, the matter is more likely on the district or Dubbo Local Court list for the day. Confirm which court holds your matter before you set out.

Civil and Equity Disputes

The Court exercises its Common Law and Equity jurisdiction on circuit for large or complex claims, including commercial disputes, professional negligence, personal injury, property matters and succession disputes such as family provision claims. These are the matters that exceed the District Court's general civil limit or that involve questions best resolved by a superior court.

Bail Applications

Under the Bail Act 2013 (NSW), the Supreme Court can hear release, variation and detention applications after a bail decision has been made in a lower court. Bail work is one of the Court's highest-volume activities, and a person held in custody in the region may have a Supreme Court bail application listed during a circuit sitting.

Appeals and Related Work

The Supreme Court also houses the Court of Appeal and the Court of Criminal Appeal, which review decisions of the District Court and single Supreme Court judges. While most appellate hearings take place in Sydney, the appeal structure sits at the top of the same system that produces the trials heard on the Dubbo circuit. Decisions of the Supreme Court can be taken further only to the High Court of Australia, and only by special leave.

Where the Dubbo Supreme Court Sits

Supreme Court circuit sittings are held at the Dubbo Court House on Brisbane Street, Dubbo NSW 2830, the same heritage building used by the Dubbo Local Court and Dubbo District Court. The current courthouse is the third to serve the town. Completed in the late 1880s and designed in the office of Colonial Architect James Barnet, it is a fine example of Victorian public architecture and is heritage listed. A plaque on the site marks the centenary of the building for the period 1889 to 1989.

Getting There

Dubbo is well connected for a regional centre, which is part of why it functions as a circuit hub. The city sits at the intersection of the Newell, Mitchell and Golden highways and is often called the crossroads of New South Wales. Dubbo Regional Airport is about 6 kilometres from the city centre, and daily rail and coach services link Dubbo with Sydney, so parties and practitioners travelling in for a hearing have several options.

Parking and Access

Street parking is available on and around Brisbane Street and nearby Wingewarra Street, with additional paid parking close by. The courthouse provides wheelchair access, lift access to public floors and accessible facilities. If you require an interpreter, a hearing loop or other assistance, arrange it with the registry in advance rather than on the day.

Supreme Court of NSW Caseload in 2024: The Numbers

The scale of the Court that comes to Dubbo is clear from its most recent annual figures. According to the Supreme Court of NSW 2024 Annual Review, the workload across the Court's divisions included:

• 4,316 filings in the Common Law Civil Division, with 3,860 disposals and 4,766 cases pending at year end.
• 4,334 filings in the Equity Division, with 4,010 disposals and 3,569 cases pending.
• 61 new matters and 95 disposals in the Common Law Criminal Division, where 40 trials ran in 2024 involving 59 accused persons.
• An average criminal trial length of about 4 weeks, with the single longest trial that commenced in 2024 running for 26 weeks.
• 3,124 bail applications filed and 2,948 finalised across the year.
• 312 filings in the Court of Appeal and 319 in the Court of Criminal Appeal, the latter finalising 98 per cent of its cases within 12 months.
• 30,801 uncontested probate applications lodged, the highest level in more than a decade.

Timeliness varies by division. In 2024 the Common Law Civil Division finalised 67 per cent of cases within 12 months and the Equity Division 76 per cent, while the appeal courts sat close to or above the national benchmark of 90 per cent. For context on the wider criminal system, BOCSAR data shows District Court trials in NSW took a median of 834 days from arrest to finalisation in 2024, and the share of defendants refused bail at finalisation rose to 9.2 per cent, up from 7.5 per cent a year earlier.

How Circuit Sittings Serve the Orana Region

Dubbo is the largest population centre in the Orana region, with an urban population of 43,516 recorded at the 2021 Census and around 54,922 people across the wider Dubbo Regional Council area. The city serves an estimated catchment of about 130,000 people. The Orana region itself covers roughly 192,581 square kilometres and is home to about 122,897 residents, making it the largest region in the state and around a quarter of the total area of New South Wales. Bringing the Supreme Court to Dubbo means that residents across this vast area can access the state's highest court closer to home rather than travelling to Sydney for every stage of a serious matter.

Dubbo is not the only regional seat the Supreme Court reaches on the western circuit. Larger trials are sometimes listed at the Orange Supreme Court instead, so if your matter is not showing here it may have been fixed there. Sudden or unexplained deaths in the district are handled separately by the Dubbo Coroners Court, which keeps its own list and does not appear among the Supreme Court sittings above.

How to Read the Dubbo Supreme Court List

The list on this page is organised by the person's name, the assigned courtroom and the scheduled time. Use it together with the guidance below.

Check Your Matter Before You Travel

Find your name or your matter and note the courtroom and start time. Because circuit dates are set ahead of time, confirm the sitting is proceeding before making a long journey. If you cannot locate your matter, search the NSW Online Registry using your name or case number, or contact the Dubbo registry directly.

On the Day of Your Hearing

Arrive early, dress and behave respectfully, and switch off mobile phones before entering the courtroom. If you are a party without a lawyer, be ready to give your name to the court officer so your matter can be called. Where you are in custody, your appearance may be by audvisual link rather than in person, unless the Court directs otherwise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Supreme Court sit in Dubbo permanently?

No. The Supreme Court is based in Sydney and sits at Dubbo on circuit, meaning it travels to the Dubbo Court House for particular trials, hearings or applications when the Court orders that they be held there. This is why the daily Dubbo Supreme Court list is often short.

What is the difference between the Dubbo Supreme, District and Local Courts?

All three sit at the same Brisbane Street courthouse but handle different work. The Local Court deals with summary matters and civil claims up to $100,000, the District Court hears most indictable offences and larger civil claims, and the Supreme Court handles the most serious crimes such as murder, along with complex civil and equity matters and appeals.

How do I confirm my Dubbo Supreme Court hearing date?

Check the list on this page, then verify it against the NSW Online Registry or by contacting the court registry. Listings can change, and the registry holds the authoritative record.

Can decisions of the Dubbo Supreme Court be appealed?

Yes. Depending on the nature of the matter, decisions may be reviewed by the Court of Appeal or the Court of Criminal Appeal, and in limited circumstances by the High Court of Australia with special leave.

Is the Dubbo Court House accessible?

Yes. The courthouse offers wheelchair access, lift access to public floors and accessible facilities. Arrange interpreters, hearing loops or other support with the registry ahead of your hearing date.