WA Magistrates Court – Dampier Peninsula Multifunctional Police Facility List Today

The Magistrates Court of Western Australia sits at the Dampier Peninsula Multifunctional Police Facility to bring justice services directly to one of the most remote and culturally significant corners of the Kimberley. Located on Lombadina Road on the Dampier Peninsula, roughly 200 kilometres north of Broome, this venue is one of a small number of purpose-built multifunctional police facilities (MFPFs) where a single site houses policing, court sittings and connected government services under one roof. For residents of the four major communities on the peninsula, Ardyaloon (One Arm Point), Djarindjin, Lombadina and Beagle Bay, a local court sitting means the difference between attending a hearing on Country and travelling hundreds of kilometres on a single sealed road to reach a regional courthouse.

Court lists for the Dampier Peninsula MFPF cover the summary criminal matters, bail applications, and Children's Court business that a regional or remote registry of the Magistrates Court typically handles. The court operates on a circuit basis rather than sitting every day, so listings appear only for scheduled sitting days. This page is built to help defendants, family members, legal representatives, Aboriginal Legal Service staff, and community members quickly confirm whether a matter is listed, on what date, and where the sitting will physically take place.

Where the Dampier Peninsula court sits and who it serves

The Dampier Peninsula is the long finger of land pointing north from Broome, separating the Indian Ocean from King Sound, with Cape Leveque at its northern tip. The distance from Broome to Cape Leveque is about 206 kilometres, and the Broome to Cape Leveque Road was fully sealed only in late 2020 after a 90 kilometre upgrade jointly funded by the Australian Government and the Western Australian Government at a combined cost of more than $65 million. Before that sealing works, the drive was a rough, corrugated dirt track that could close entirely after heavy rain during the wet season.

The traditional owners of the peninsula are the Bardi, Nyulnyul and Jabirr Jabirr peoples, and the wider area recorded a population of just over 1,050 residents at the 2021 Census, spread across communities, outstations, pearling camps and tourist resorts. Beagle Bay alone had a population of 307 at the 2021 Census and sits about 100 kilometres from Broome. These small population centres, separated by long distances and seasonal road closures, are the reason a local justice presence matters so much on the peninsula.

What a multifunctional police facility actually is

Multifunctional police facilities were introduced across remote Western Australia following the 2003 Gordon Inquiry, which highlighted the need to improve government services in remote Aboriginal communities. In response, the State Government committed $75 million to the program. The Dampier Peninsula facility was the fourth MFPF to be built, following earlier facilities at Warburton, Kalumburu and Bidyadanga. Further facilities at Warakurna, Warmun and Jigalong followed. Each MFPF was designed to combine a police station with courtroom space and links to agencies such as child protection, housing and community services, delivering what the State described at the time as greater policing stability and better access to justice for remote communities.

Because the facility is shared, the court component depends on both a visiting magistrate and available police support for security and custody. This shared model is efficient in normal conditions, but it also means court sittings can be affected when policing resources are stretched, a factor that became significant across the Kimberley during 2026.

2026 court closures and their effect on peninsula listings

In May 2026, Western Australia's Heads of Jurisdiction suspended sittings at more than 20 regional and remote courthouses after police advised they could no longer guarantee security at those venues. WA Chief Justice Peter Quinlan signed a public notice covering arrangements originally scheduled to run from 1 June to 28 August 2026. For nearly a month, courts at Dampier Peninsula, Bidyadanga, Fitzroy Crossing, Looma, Wyndham, Warmun, Kalumburu, Balgo and Halls Creek were closed, with the Magistrates Court and the Children's Court the jurisdictions most affected.

Kimberley Aboriginal leaders warned that the closures were cutting First Nations communities off from justice, arguing that access to courts should not depend on a person's postcode. Following that advocacy, the State Government announced in late June 2026 that regional and remote courts would reopen a month earlier than the original end date. During the suspension, some matters were redirected to larger regional registries, and District Court circuit sittings at Derby were suspended for three months, with cases sent to Broome. If you have a matter that was affected by these arrangements, always confirm the current sitting location before travelling.

Why confirming the venue matters

When a remote sitting is vacated, matters are commonly relisted at the nearest staffed courthouse, most often the Broome Magistrates Court, which serves as the principal registry for the west Kimberley. For communities near Fitzroy Crossing during the 2026 closures, that meant travelling more than 400 kilometres to Broome, and for some communities the trip stretched beyond 480 kilometres and five hours on the road, with no transport provided. Checking your listing in advance helps you avoid arriving at a venue where your matter is no longer being heard.

How the Dampier Peninsula court fits the wider WA court network

The Magistrates Court of Western Australia is the most geographically widespread court in the country, operating from more than 60 venues and conducting circuit sittings at dozens of remote locations across the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields and Mid West. Within the Kimberley, the principal staffed registries are Broome, Kununurra and Derby, supported by circuit courts at Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek and Wyndham, and by remote community courts at Balgo, Bidyadanga, Kalumburu, Looma, Warmun and the Dampier Peninsula. The nearby Derby Courthouse often handles matters connected to the peninsula and the surrounding west Kimberley communities.

This remote justice model has deep roots. Magistrates in the Kimberley began inviting local Aboriginal elders to sit alongside them from around 1970, and the Aboriginal Communities Act 1979 (WA) formalised elements of that approach. Understanding this history helps explain why keeping justice services physically present on the peninsula, rather than centralising everything in Broome, carries such weight for local communities. You can explore the full state network through the Western Australia court list hub, which lists every Magistrates, District, Supreme, Family and Children's Court venue in the state.

Practical details for court users

• Location: Dampier Peninsula Multifunctional Police Facility, Lombadina Road, Dampier Peninsula, Kimberley WA 6725.
• Region: West Kimberley, approximately 200 kilometres north of Broome.
• Court type: Circuit sittings of the Magistrates Court and Children's Court, held on scheduled dates rather than daily.
• Access: Sealed road from Broome via the Broome to Cape Leveque Road, with possible wet season closures between November and April.
• Best practice: Confirm the sitting date and venue before travelling, particularly given the 2026 remote court arrangements.

For matters relocated to the coast, listings at venues such as the South Hedland Courthouse and other regional registries can be checked in the same way, so you always know exactly where to appear.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Dampier Peninsula court sit every day?

No. As a remote circuit venue within a multifunctional police facility, it sits on scheduled dates only. Listings appear for those sitting days, so if no matters are listed, there may be no sitting scheduled for that period.

What happens if a sitting is cancelled or the court is closed?

Matters are usually relisted at the nearest staffed registry, most often Broome, or heard by video link where possible. During the 2026 arrangements, several peninsula and Kimberley matters were redirected in this way, so always confirm your current venue before travelling.

What types of matters are heard here?

The venue deals mainly with summary criminal matters, bail applications and Children's Court business typical of a remote Magistrates Court sitting. More serious indictable matters are dealt with by the District or Supreme Court on circuit at Broome, Kununurra or Derby.

How do I check today's Dampier Peninsula court list?

Use the listing details on this page to confirm the scheduled date and location. Because sittings are periodic and subject to change, checking ahead of your court date is the most reliable way to avoid a wasted trip across long Kimberley distances.