NSW Camden Local Court List Today

The Camden Local Court list on this page tracks matters connected to the historic Camden courthouse on John Street, Camden NSW 2570, in the heart of south-western Sydney's Macarthur region. Camden sits roughly 60 to 65 kilometres from the Sydney central business district and forms part of one of the fastest-growing corridors in the country. Before you rely on any listing, it is important to understand how this court now operates, where cases are physically heard, and what kinds of matters fall within its jurisdiction.

A heritage courthouse in the John Street precinct

Camden has a long judicial history. A Court of Petty Sessions was established at Camden by proclamation on 20 July 1841, after the local bench was relocated from the earlier court at Cawdor. The present sandstone courthouse was commenced in 1855 and completed in 1857, and it was designed during William Weaver's term as Government Architect of New South Wales. The building is a compact Italianate structure with a temple-front loggia, three arches, and original holding cells built underneath and at the rear. A replacement lock-up was added between 1859 and 1861. Today the courthouse is heritage-listed and sits within the John Street Historic Precinct, one of the best-preserved colonial streetscapes in the Sydney basin.

Current operational status

While Camden remains a recognised court location within the New South Wales Local Court system, the courthouse itself is not currently operating as a sitting court. Camden matters, registry enquiries, and postal correspondence are administered through the nearby Campbelltown Local Court. If you have received a court attendance notice, a bail notice, or any document referring to Camden Local Court, you should confirm the actual sitting location with the registry before attending, because your matter is very likely to be listed at Campbelltown rather than at the John Street building.

Where Camden Local Court matters are now heard

Matters that would historically have been listed at Camden are managed by Campbelltown Local Court, located on Railway Street, Campbelltown NSW 2560. The Campbelltown complex is a busy metropolitan court that also houses the Campbelltown District Court and the Campbelltown Children's Court, and it provides audio visual link facilities in its courtrooms for remote appearances and in-custody defendants. The Campbelltown registry is open from 8:45 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, with telephone enquiries handled from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm on 1300 679 272.

Camden does not have its own railway station. The closest heavy-rail connection is Macarthur Station, approximately 12 kilometres away, with regular bus services linking Macarthur and the Camden township. Parking is generally available around the John Street precinct, and Campbelltown Local Court is directly accessible from Campbelltown and Macarthur stations for those attending in person.

Serious charges do not stay in the Local Court. Indictable matters are committed for trial or sentence to the Campbelltown District Court, which sits in the same Railway Street complex, so a Camden defendant facing a strictly indictable offence will end up before a judge rather than a Magistrate. Appeals against a Magistrate's conviction or sentence also travel to the District Court. Young people charged in the Macarthur area are dealt with separately in the Children's Court division of the same building.

What the Camden Local Court daily list covers

The Local Court is the entry point for the overwhelming majority of legal matters in New South Wales, and a Camden or Campbelltown daily list can include a wide spread of proceedings. Typical listing types include:

• Criminal mentions, where charges are read and a plea of guilty or not guilty is entered.
• Traffic and driving offences, including drink driving, drug driving, negligent driving, and licence appeals.
• Apprehended Violence Order applications, covering both apprehended domestic violence orders and apprehended personal violence orders.
• Bail applications and bail variations.
• Sentence hearings after a plea or finding of guilt.
• Defended hearings, where evidence is called and contested before a Magistrate.
• Civil disputes up to a value of $100,000, split between the Small Claims Division for amounts up to $20,000 and the General Division above that threshold.

NSW Local Court by the numbers

Understanding the scale of the Local Court helps explain why accurate, up-to-date lists matter. According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), the New South Wales criminal courts finalised 151,113 court appearances in the 2024/25 financial year, an increase of 7.4 per cent on the previous year. The Local Court carried the vast bulk of that workload.

• Local Court finalisations rose 7.7 per cent, up 10,168 matters, to 141,616 in 2024/25.
• The Local Court accounts for roughly 94 per cent of all criminal finalisations across the state's court hierarchy.
• Domestic violence related finalisations rose 12.1 per cent and now make up 27.1 per cent of all Local Court finalisations, up from 26.0 per cent a year earlier.
• Around 86 per cent of finalised defendants had at least one proven charge, while about 8 per cent of matters were withdrawn by the prosecution.
• Traffic and vehicle offences were the single largest offence category, with 45,371 defendants found guilty by principal offence in the year to June 2025.
• The proportion of proven defendants receiving a custodial penalty rose from 9.1 per cent to 10.0 per cent, with the total number of custodial penalties climbing 16.8 per cent to 13,035.

The Local Court of New South Wales Annual Review 2024 records that more than 500,000 matters commenced across the Local Court, Children's Court, and coronial jurisdiction during the 2024 calendar year, comprising 388,739 criminal matters, 67,805 civil filings, and 55,194 special jurisdiction proceedings. With more than 160 courthouses operating statewide, timing and location accuracy are essential for anyone tracking a listing.

Camden and the Macarthur region: why court demand keeps rising

Population pressure in the Camden area is one of the clearest drivers of local court activity. Camden Council's official forecast put the local government area population at 138,684 in 2024, projected to reach 257,172 by 2046. That represents growth of about 115 per cent between 2021 and 2046, at an average annual rate near 3.12 per cent. Camden has ranked among the fastest-growing local government areas in Australia for years, and Australian Bureau of Statistics data for 2024/25 recorded continued strong growth of 3.7 per cent from a large base.

Rapid population growth tends to lift the volume of traffic, criminal, and family violence matters entering the Local Court system. Across New South Wales, BOCSAR reported that domestic violence related assault rose 28.3 per cent over the ten years to June 2024, an average of roughly 2.8 per cent per year. This statewide trend, combined with sustained residential expansion across the Macarthur corridor, helps explain why the Campbelltown registry that now services Camden carries such a substantial and growing caseload.

How to use the Camden Local Court list

When checking the daily list, look for the party names, the assigned courtroom, and the listing time. Names on published court lists are commonly partially masked to protect privacy, so confirm identifying details against your own paperwork. The NSW Online Registry provides a further digital channel for searching and managing matters, allowing you to search by name, case number, court location, date, jurisdiction, presiding officer title, and listing type, generally displaying matters up to three weeks ahead and one week in the past. Because scheduling can change at short notice, always verify the final listing with the registry before travelling.

Contact and location details

• Court: Camden Local Court (administered through Campbelltown Local Court)
• Street address: John Street, Camden NSW 2570
• Matters now heard at: Campbelltown Local Court, Railway Street, Campbelltown NSW 2560
• Postal address: C/O Campbelltown Local Court, PO Box 91, Campbelltown NSW 2560
• Phone: 1300 679 272
• Telephone hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday

If your matter has been reallocated and you are unsure which venue to check, the Campbelltown court list today is the practical starting point, since almost all former Camden listings appear there. Residents further south around Wollondilly may instead be directed to Picton Local Court, which still sits on scheduled days. Tribunal and tenancy disputes are handled elsewhere again, through the NCAT Campbelltown registry, so match the list to the type of matter you have before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Is Camden Local Court still open?

The heritage Camden courthouse on John Street is not currently operating as a sitting court. Camden matters and registry enquiries are handled by Campbelltown Local Court, so confirm your sitting location before attending.

Where do I go if my notice says Camden Local Court?

Contact the registry on 1300 679 272 to confirm the venue. In most cases your matter will be listed at Campbelltown Local Court on Railway Street, Campbelltown.

What types of cases appear on the Camden court list?

The list can include criminal mentions, traffic and drink driving matters, apprehended violence order applications, bail applications, sentence hearings, defended hearings, and civil disputes up to $100,000.

How do I search my matter online?

Use the NSW Online Registry to search by name, case number, location, date, and listing type. It typically shows matters up to three weeks ahead and one week in the past.