NSW Parkes District Court List Today

The Parkes District Court is the intermediate criminal and civil trial court serving Parkes and the wider Central West region of New South Wales. Sitting on circuit at the Parkes Court House, it hears the serious matters that fall above the Local Court but below the Supreme Court, giving residents of Parkes Shire and surrounding districts access to trial by jury, sentence hearings and Local Court appeals without travelling to Sydney or Dubbo. If you are due to appear, or you simply want to confirm when a matter is listed, this page brings together verified court details, jurisdiction facts and current statistics so you can find the daily court list and plan ahead with confidence.

The court operates from the same building as the Parkes Local Court, a long-standing feature of the town's civic precinct on Currajong Street next to the police station. Because the District Court sits on circuit rather than every day, checking the published list before you attend is the single most reliable way to confirm your date, courtroom and start time.

Parkes District Court contact details and location

Parkes District Court is located in central Parkes, within the Parkes Court House shared with the Local Court. The registry handles filing, general enquiries and Audio Visual Link (AVL) bookings for people who cannot attend in person.

• Street address: 37 Currajong Street, Parkes NSW 2870
• Postal address: PO Box 131, Parkes NSW 2870
• Telephone: 6862 9400
• Fax: 6862 9418
• Registry hours: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday
• Telephone hours: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm
• Facilities: Audio Visual Link (AVL) facilities are available at this location

The court house sits in the heart of Parkes, a town of 9,832 residents at the 2021 Census within a Parkes Shire population of 14,361 people spread across roughly 5,958 square kilometres. Parkes lies about 355 kilometres west of Sydney and 100 kilometres west of Orange on the Newell Highway, which makes it a natural regional hub for the Lachlan Valley and a practical circuit location for the District Court. The town is part of the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri people and is widely known for the CSIRO Parkes radio telescope, "The Dish", which supported the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969.

What is the Parkes District Court?

The District Court of New South Wales is the middle tier of the state's three-level court hierarchy, sitting between the Local Court below it and the Supreme Court above it. It is the busiest trial court in the state and the principal venue for indictable criminal matters heard before a judge and, where a plea of not guilty is entered, a jury of twelve. When the court sits at Parkes, it deals with matters from the town and neighbouring communities that are too serious for a magistrate to finalise.

Unlike the Local Court, which is presided over by a magistrate and handles the high volume of everyday matters, the District Court is presided over by a judge. Serious charges committed in Parkes are first dealt with at the Local Court and then committed up to the District Court for trial or sentence. This tiered structure is common to the whole state, so the way a matter moves through Parkes mirrors the process used at larger registries such as the Dubbo District Court and the Orange District Court.

The New South Wales court hierarchy at a glance

• Local Court: Summary offences, committal proceedings, bail, Apprehended Violence Orders and civil claims up to $100,000.
• District Court: Indictable criminal offences, sentence hearings, Local Court appeals and civil claims to a general limit of $1,250,000, with unlimited jurisdiction for motor accident and workplace injury damages.
• Supreme Court: The most serious crimes, including murder, treason and piracy, and the largest civil claims.

What matters does the Parkes District Court hear?

The District Court has both a criminal and a civil jurisdiction, and the work heard at Parkes reflects both. In its criminal jurisdiction the court may deal with all indictable offences except murder, treason and piracy, which are reserved for the Supreme Court. That covers a broad range of serious charges, from aggravated assault and armed robbery to sexual offences, large-scale drug supply and serious driving offences causing death or grievous bodily harm.

The criminal work of the court generally falls into three categories:

• Trials: Where an accused person pleads not guilty, the matter proceeds to a trial before a judge and jury who decide the question of guilt.
• Sentence hearings: Where a person pleads guilty or is found guilty, a judge determines the appropriate penalty, which can include imprisonment, an intensive correction order, a community correction order or a fine.
• Appeals: The District Court hears appeals from people convicted or sentenced in the Local Court, including severity appeals and conviction appeals.

In its civil jurisdiction the court deals with disputes about money and injury. It may hear all motor accident cases regardless of the amount claimed, along with other claims from $100,001 up to a general limit of $1,250,000, and it can go beyond that figure where the parties consent. Its jurisdiction to hear motor accident claims and workplace injury damages is unlimited. The most common civil matters are personal injury claims, breach of contract disputes and defamation. The court also exercises a summary jurisdiction to determine prosecutions under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011.

Common matters heard at Parkes

• Serious assault and domestic violence offences committed to the District Court from the Local Court
• Drug supply, manufacture and cultivation charges above the small quantity threshold
• Break, enter and steal offences and aggravated property crime
• Sexual assault and other prescribed sexual offences
• Dangerous and negligent driving occasioning death or grievous bodily harm
• Local Court severity and conviction appeals
• Personal injury and motor accident compensation claims

How to find the Parkes District Court list

Court lists tell you the date, time and location of matters listed for hearing, generally covering up to three weeks in the future and one week in the past. Because the District Court sits at Parkes on circuit, the published list is the most dependable way to confirm whether the court is sitting on a given day and where your matter has been allocated. You can search the daily list by the name of a party, the case number, the court location, the date and the type of listing, such as arraignment, trial, sentence or judgment.

To prepare for your appearance:

• Check the list the afternoon before your date, as allocations and courtroom numbers can change late in the day.
• Arrive early, ideally 30 minutes before your listed time, so you can find your courtroom and speak with your lawyer.
• Confirm whether your appearance is in person or by Audio Visual Link, which is available at the Parkes registry.
• Bring any documents, character references or medical reports that are relevant to your matter.

If you are unsure which court your matter is in, remember that many charges begin at the Local Court before being committed to the District Court. You can cross-check the local list through the Parkes Local Court list and confirm the District Court sitting dates through the registry on 6862 9400.

Parkes District Court statistics and current context

The scale of the District Court's workload across New South Wales helps put a single circuit sitting at Parkes in perspective. The court is the state's principal trial court, and its caseload has grown steadily in recent years.

• In 2024 the District Court had 1,273 criminal trials registered and heard 1,361 trials along with 5,401 sentence hearings during the year.
• Civil filings rose from about 4,100 in 2023 to 4,358 in 2024, with 88 per cent of civil cases finalised within 24 months.
• Across the wider criminal justice system, NSW courts finalised 156,256 court appearances in 2025, an increase of 8.3 per cent on the previous year.
• The median time for a District Court trial to move from arrest to finalisation was about 843 days in 2025, reflecting the complexity of jury trials and the pressure on the court's caseload.
• Custodial penalties across NSW criminal courts rose from 8.7 per cent of finalisations in 2023 to 9.8 per cent in 2024, and the proportion of defendants refused bail at finalisation rose from 7.5 per cent to 9.2 per cent over the same period.

These figures are drawn from the District Court of NSW Annual Review and the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR). They explain why timing and early legal advice matter so much: trials can take well over two years to finalise, and the earlier you understand your options, the better prepared you will be when your matter is listed at Parkes.

Legal representation and support at Parkes

Anyone facing a serious charge in the District Court is strongly encouraged to obtain legal advice. A person may be represented by a private solicitor or barrister, or may apply to Legal Aid NSW if they meet the means and merit tests. Duty solicitors are sometimes available at circuit sittings, but they cannot run a full trial, so arranging your own representation ahead of time is important for any contested matter.

Support services available to court users include the Witness Assistance Service for victims and witnesses, interpreter services that can be arranged in advance through the registry, and remote appearance options via Audio Visual Link for parties and witnesses who cannot travel to Parkes. The court precinct provides wheelchair access and accessible facilities.

Frequently asked questions about Parkes District Court

Where is the Parkes District Court located?

Parkes District Court sits at the Parkes Court House, 37 Currajong Street, Parkes NSW 2870, next to the police station in the centre of town. It shares the building and contact details with the Parkes Local Court.

What is the phone number for the Parkes court registry?

The registry can be reached on 6862 9400 during telephone hours of 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. The postal address is PO Box 131, Parkes NSW 2870.

Does the District Court sit at Parkes every day?

No. The District Court sits at Parkes on circuit rather than daily, so you should always check the published court list or contact the registry to confirm whether the court is sitting on your date and which courtroom your matter is in.

What is the difference between the Local Court and the District Court at Parkes?

The Local Court is presided over by a magistrate and deals with summary offences, committals, bail and civil claims up to $100,000. The District Court is presided over by a judge and hears serious indictable offences, sentence hearings, Local Court appeals and larger civil claims. Serious matters usually start at the Local Court before being committed to the District Court.

Can I appear at Parkes District Court by video link?

Yes. Audio Visual Link facilities are available at the Parkes registry, allowing some parties and witnesses to appear remotely. You should arrange any AVL appearance in advance through the registry so it can be listed correctly.

How far in advance are court lists published?

Court lists generally cover matters up to three weeks in the future and one week in the past. Allocations can change late in the day, so it is best to check the list the afternoon before your appearance and again on the morning of your matter.

What penalties can the Parkes District Court impose?

Depending on the offence, a judge may impose imprisonment, an intensive correction order, a community correction order, a conditional release order or a fine. Sentencing is guided by the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 and the individual circumstances of each case.

Whether you are appearing for the first time or supporting a family member, checking the daily list and confirming your sitting date is the best way to stay prepared. You can also review nearby regional registries such as the Orange District Court if your matter has been transferred, and confirm any earlier Local Court steps through the Parkes Local Court.