QLD Cairns Supreme District Court List Today

The Cairns Supreme and District Court sits at Level 3, 5D Sheridan Street, Cairns QLD 4870, serving as the principal higher-court venue for Far North Queensland. This single complex houses both the Supreme Court and District Court sittings for the region, and it operates alongside the Cairns Magistrates Court within the same Sheridan Street precinct. If you are checking the Cairns court list, appearing for a matter, reporting for jury service, or simply trying to understand how the higher courts function in the Far North, this page explains what happens here, which cases are heard, and how the court fits into the wider Queensland judicial system.

Cairns is one of only four Queensland centres with a resident Supreme Court criminal jurisdiction, joining Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville. The Far Northern judge of the Supreme Court is based permanently in Cairns and travels on circuit to Mount Isa, meaning serious matters such as murder, manslaughter and major drug trafficking can be tried locally rather than requiring a transfer to Brisbane. This regional presence has deep historical roots: the northern Supreme Court circuit reached Cairns in 1889, part of a nineteenth-century push to bring superior-court justice to communities separated from the capital by more than 1,700 kilometres.

Where the Cairns Supreme and District Court is located

The court is located at Level 3, 5D Sheridan Street, Cairns City, in the heart of the Cairns central business district. Postal correspondence is directed to PO Box 1110, Cairns QLD 4870, and the High Court registry can be reached on (07) 4280 6000. The building provides Wi-Fi, videoconferencing and a remote witness room, reflecting the modern shift toward technology-assisted hearings. Counter queries are generally handled from 8.30am to 4.30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, with reduced hours on Tuesday, so it is worth confirming registry times before you travel in.

Because the Supreme Court, District Court and Magistrates Court all operate from the Sheridan Street complex, it is easy to confuse the venues. The higher courts sit on the upper levels, while summary criminal matters, committals and domestic violence applications are dealt with at the Cairns Magistrates Court on the lower levels. If your matter is a first appearance, a bail application, or a minor charge, you will usually start downstairs before any referral to the District or Supreme Court.

What cases are heard at the Cairns District Court

The District Court is Queensland's second-highest court and operates across roughly 32 locations statewide. In Cairns it deals with serious indictable offences and mid-range civil disputes. On the criminal side, the District Court hears matters such as armed robbery, serious assault, grievous bodily harm, sexual offences and significant fraud. Most of these offences carry a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment or less, though the court can also deal with a limited group of offences carrying life imprisonment, including arson, burglary, armed robbery and rape, under section 61 of the District Court of Queensland Act 1967.

On the civil side, the District Court hears claims where the amount in dispute falls between $150,000 and $750,000. The upper monetary limit of $750,000 is set out in section 68 of the District Court of Queensland Act 1967, and it was lifted from an earlier ceiling of $250,000 as part of Queensland's civil and criminal justice reforms. The court also hears most appeals against decisions of the Magistrates Court, whether those decisions concern a conviction, a sentence or a civil judgment.

Criminal trials in the District Court are decided by a jury of 12, with the judge ruling on questions of law and passing sentence after a verdict. Statewide, the scale of this work is substantial. The District Court of Queensland Annual Report 2023-2024 recorded 6,659 new criminal lodgements and 6,684 criminal matters finalised, producing a clearance rate of 100.4 per cent, alongside 4,096 civil lodgements, a rise of 5.9 per cent on the previous year. Cairns contributes to this workload as one of the busiest regional registries in the north.

What cases are heard at the Cairns Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the highest court in Queensland and exercises the broadest jurisdiction of any court in the state. In its criminal trial division, it deals with the most serious offences, including murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and trafficking in Schedule 1 drugs. In its civil jurisdiction it has no upper monetary limit, generally hearing claims above $750,000, and it also handles corporate insolvency matters such as applications to wind up a company.

Statewide figures show how concentrated and significant this work is. The Supreme Court of Queensland Annual Report 2023-2024 recorded 3,526 civil lodgements, an increase of about 10 per cent on the prior year, together with 1,604 criminal lodgements in the Trial Division and 274 criminal appeals disposed of by the Court of Appeal. Queensland's Supreme Court bench comprises 28 judges, and while more than 80 per cent of the court's workload arises in and around Brisbane, the resident Far Northern judge ensures that the most serious cases arising in Cairns and the surrounding region can be heard close to home.

Supreme Court application mornings in Cairns typically run on sitting Wednesdays and Fridays, with dedicated admissions ceremonies scheduled through the year. The court also marks the regional legal calendar with events such as the Opening of the Law Year ceremony in Cairns, which brings together the traditional owners of the Cairns area with members of the local legal profession.

Circuit sittings and Far North Queensland coverage

The Cairns registry does more than serve the city itself. It anchors higher-court coverage for a vast catchment that stretches across Far North Queensland and into the Gulf, Cape and Torres Strait. District Court judges based in the region undertake circuits to centres including Bowen, Charters Towers, Mount Isa and Mackay, while the resident Cairns judges manage local lists between those travelling commitments. This circuit model allows people in remote communities to access jury trials and higher-court hearings without travelling hundreds of kilometres to Brisbane.

For anyone tracking daily proceedings, the Supreme and District Courts publish a combined Cairns law list, often abbreviated to SCDC Cairns, showing criminal sittings, mentions, applications and jury information for the week. Reviewing the list the evening before your appearance is the simplest way to confirm your courtroom, your judge and your listed time.

How the Cairns court fits into the Queensland court hierarchy

Queensland's court system is arranged in tiers, and understanding where a matter sits helps you know what to expect. The structure runs broadly as follows:

• Magistrates Court — the entry point for almost all matters, dealing with summary offences, committals, bail and civil claims up to $150,000.
• District Court — serious indictable offences and civil disputes between $150,000 and $750,000, plus appeals from the Magistrates Court.
• Supreme Court (Trial Division) — the most serious criminal matters and civil claims above $750,000, with unlimited civil jurisdiction.
• Court of Appeal — hears appeals from the District and Supreme Courts in both criminal and civil matters.

Almost every criminal case begins in the Magistrates Court before serious charges are committed to the District or Supreme Court for trial or sentence. For that reason, many people who end up at the Cairns Supreme and District Court have already had an earlier appearance at the Cairns Magistrates Court, where their matter was first mentioned and then referred upward.

Jury service at Cairns

Jury trials are central to both the District and Supreme Courts, and Cairns residents are regularly summoned to serve. Both courts empanel a jury of 12 to decide whether an accused person is guilty. Jury service queries in Cairns are handled through dedicated lines, and prospective jurors can now complete questionnaires online, receive electronic notifications and be paid by electronic funds transfer under the modernised Jury Management System. If you have been summoned, the weekly law list will indicate when jurors are actually required, which is often a specific week rather than the whole sitting period.

Comparing Cairns with other regional Queensland higher courts

Cairns is the northernmost of Queensland's resident Supreme Court criminal centres. The next major higher-court hub to the south is Townsville Supreme and District Court, where the Northern judge resides and circuits to Mackay. The busiest venue in the state remains Brisbane Supreme and District Court, based at the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law, a 19-storey, 60,000-square-metre complex opened in 2012 at a cost of around $570 million. Understanding these differences matters, because a matter listed in Cairns follows the same law and procedure as one in Brisbane, but the practical experience, waiting times and circuit scheduling can differ in a regional registry.

Because the resident Cairns judges also travel west, the court maintains a close operational link with the Mount Isa Supreme and District Court, where Cairns-based judicial officers regularly manage the list during circuit sittings. This connection is part of what makes the Cairns registry the logistical hub of higher-court justice across the Far North and the Gulf.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Cairns Supreme and District Court located?

The court is at Level 3, 5D Sheridan Street, Cairns QLD 4870, in the Cairns central business district. The Supreme Court, District Court and Magistrates Court all operate from this Sheridan Street complex.

What is the difference between the District Court and the Supreme Court in Cairns?

The District Court hears serious indictable offences and civil claims between $150,000 and $750,000. The Supreme Court hears the most serious criminal matters, such as murder and major drug trafficking, and civil claims above $750,000 with no upper monetary limit.

Are jury trials held at the Cairns court?

Yes. Both the District Court and Supreme Court conduct jury trials in Cairns, with a jury of 12 deciding criminal matters. Cairns residents are summoned for jury service through the Queensland Jury Management System.

How do I find the Cairns court list for today?

The Supreme and District Courts publish a combined daily Cairns law list showing sittings, mentions and jury information. Checking it the day before your appearance confirms your courtroom, judge and listed time.

Does the Cairns Supreme Court serve areas outside the city?

Yes. Cairns anchors higher-court coverage for Far North Queensland, with judges circuiting to centres including Mount Isa, and providing access to jury trials for communities across the Cape, Gulf and Torres Strait.