The Federal Court of Australia is one of the busiest superior courts in the country, and its daily court list is where most litigants, lawyers, journalists and members of the public first find out when and where a matter is being heard. This page brings together today's Federal Court listings from every registry into one searchable place, so you do not have to jump between eight separate registry pages to find the hearing you are looking for. Whether you are tracking a commercial dispute in Sydney, a migration appeal in Melbourne or a bankruptcy application in Brisbane, the aim is simple: give you the courtroom, the presiding judge, the hearing time and the matter details quickly and accurately.
The Court publishes its official daily lists for the next day of business at approximately 4.30pm, and details can still change after they are posted. Because listings are updated late in the afternoon and can shift overnight, it is always worth checking again on the morning of the hearing. Our page mirrors the official structure while giving you a faster, mobile-friendly way to scan hearings across the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
What the Federal Court of Australia does
The Federal Court was created by the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth) and began exercising its jurisdiction on 1 February 1977. It is a superior court of record and a court of law and equity, sitting below the High Court of Australia but above the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia in most federal matters. Its original jurisdiction is conferred by more than 120 federal Acts of Parliament, which is why its caseload spans such a wide spread of Commonwealth law.
The Court hears matters arising under federal legislation across areas including commercial and corporations law, competition and consumer protection, admiralty and maritime, bankruptcy, taxation, intellectual property, native title, employment and industrial relations, human rights and anti-discrimination, and administrative and constitutional law. It has jurisdiction over almost all civil disputes governed by federal law, along with a range of summary and indictable corporate criminal matters. Notably, the Federal Court does not deal with family law parenting or divorce matters, which fall to the Federal Circuit and Family Court, and it has no general criminal jurisdiction.
Federal Court vs the Federal Circuit and Family Court
Many people searching for a "federal court list" are actually looking for two different courts. The Federal Court of Australia handles complex, high-value commercial and appellate matters across Commonwealth law. The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia deals with family law and a large volume of general federal law matters such as migration and lower-value disputes. The two courts share registries and the same online portal, so it is easy to confuse the daily lists. Reading the matter description and the National Practice Area on each listing is the quickest way to confirm you are in the right court.
Federal Court caseload and performance statistics
The scale of the Court's work is significant. In the 2023-24 financial year the Federal Court recorded 4,266 filed proceedings, an increase of 29 per cent on the previous year, and finalised 3,155 proceedings. The Court achieved a finalisation rate of 99 per cent, meaning it resolved almost as many matters as were filed during the year. At the same time, 74 per cent of finalised proceedings were completed within 12 months of filing, up from 68 per cent the year before, which points to steadily improving throughput despite rising demand.
Judicial output was strong as well. The judges of the Court delivered 1,841 published judgments in 2023-24, up from 1,787 the previous year. Of those judgments, 79 per cent were delivered within three months of being reserved and 86 per cent within six months. The backlog of long-outstanding decisions fell sharply: only 14 judgments had been reserved for 12 months or longer at the end of the reporting period, down from 38 a year earlier.
The Court's original jurisdiction remains its engine room. In 2023-24, 1,757 Judge Original Jurisdiction proceedings were commenced, a six per cent rise on the prior year, and the finalisation rate for those matters reached 103 per cent. Commercial and Corporations work dominated, making up 56 per cent of these filings, followed by migration matters at 14 per cent. New South Wales attracted the single largest share of filings by state at 41 per cent, reflecting Sydney's role as a hub for commercial litigation.
Appellate work also grew. Appeals and related actions filed rose nine per cent, from 518 in 2022-23 to 567 in 2023-24, and the Court finalised 578 appellate matters, a finalisation rate of 102 per cent. Of those, 194 were decided by a Full Court and 384 by a single judge exercising appellate jurisdiction. Migration continued to weigh heavily on the appellate docket: of the 788 appeals before the Court at 30 June 2024, some 525 were migration appeals and related actions.
People and reach behind the numbers
Behind those figures sits a substantial institution. As reported for 2023-24, the Court's work is supported by 53 judges, 49 registrars and 99 judicial support staff. Public engagement with the Court's online services is considerable, with the reporting period recording more than 9.5 million website hits and 89 livestreamed proceedings, reflecting the Court's move toward open, digitally accessible justice.
How the Federal Court daily list works
Federal Court listings for the next day of business are published on the official Court calendar, with lists updated at around 4.30pm each day. Where a hearing is to be livestreamed, the link to the stream is provided directly within the relevant list entry. Each listing typically identifies the matter name and number, the presiding judge, the courtroom or whether the hearing is by Microsoft Teams, the hearing type and the scheduled time.
For deeper case information, the Court runs several official tools. The Commonwealth Courts Portal gives web-based access to case information across both the Federal Court and the Federal Circuit and Family Court, allowing registered users to track a matter and receive email alerts when new listing dates, orders or judgments are added. Federal Law Search provides real-time hearing dates and times for current matters and covers all cases commenced since 1 January 1984. Anyone can also subscribe to registry-specific daily court list emails so the next day's hearings arrive in their inbox soon after publication.
Registries across the country
The Federal Court sits in all capital cities and elsewhere in Australia when required. It maintains permanent registries in Canberra, Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne and Perth, and runs circuit sittings in regional areas as needed. Since 1 July 2019 the registry functions of the Federal Court have been shared with the Federal Circuit and Family Court, which is why a single registry counter often serves both courts. If you are searching for hearings in a particular state, our state pages let you narrow the list quickly, including the dedicated Victoria court list and the NSW court lists, alongside coverage for Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.
How to read and use today's Federal Court list
To get the most out of the daily list, start with the registry closest to where your matter was filed, then look for the matter number or party names. Because the Federal Court organises its work into National Practice Areas, checking the practice area on a listing helps confirm whether a matter is commercial, migration, taxation, employment or another category. If a hearing appears to be livestreamed, follow the official link only, as public access to open hearings is provided through the Court's own channels.
- Check the time and mode. Many directions hearings and case management listings are now held by Microsoft Teams rather than in a physical courtroom, so confirm whether attendance is in person or online.
- Confirm the judge. The presiding judge is listed against each matter, which matters when a case is reallocated at short notice.
- Watch for late changes. Lists are posted the afternoon before and can change, so re-check on the morning of the hearing.
- Use the matter number. If you know the file number, Federal Law Search and the Commonwealth Courts Portal are the fastest ways to confirm the latest hearing details.
If your matter is not federal, you may be looking for a state court instead. Many hearings that people expect to find here are actually listed in state jurisdictions, so it can help to compare against the relevant Queensland court lists or a a supreme court list before assuming a matter has been moved or removed.
Why accuracy and timing matter
Court listings carry real consequences. Missing a hearing can lead to a matter being dismissed, orders being made in a party's absence or costs being awarded. That is why the Federal Court publishes its lists on a fixed daily schedule and why professional users often subscribe to automatic alerts rather than relying on memory. For self-represented litigants in particular, understanding that lists update in the late afternoon and can change overnight is an important safeguard against turning up on the wrong day or to the wrong courtroom.
Our goal with this page is to reduce that friction. By consolidating the eight registry lists into a single view and pairing them with plain-English explanations of what each listing means, we help you confirm the who, what, when and where of a Federal Court hearing without needing to be a lawyer. For anything binding or official, the Federal Court's own daily court lists, the Commonwealth Courts Portal and Federal Law Search remain the authoritative sources, and we encourage you to verify critical details directly with the Court.
Frequently asked questions
What time are Federal Court daily lists published?
The Federal Court publishes court listings for the next day of business at approximately 4.30pm, and the lists are updated around that time each day. Because details can change after posting, it is best to check again on the morning of the hearing.
Does the Federal Court hear family law or criminal cases?
No. Family law parenting and divorce matters are dealt with by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, and the Federal Court has no general criminal jurisdiction. The Federal Court does handle a limited range of summary and indictable corporate criminal matters arising under federal law.
How can I track a specific Federal Court case?
Anyone can register with the Commonwealth Courts Portal to track a case. Once registered, you can search by party names or file number and choose to be notified by email of activity such as new listing dates, lodged documents and judgment delivery.
Where does the Federal Court sit?
The Court maintains permanent registries in Canberra, Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne and Perth, and it sits elsewhere in Australia on circuit when required.
What is the difference between the daily list and Federal Law Search?
The daily court list shows hearings scheduled for the next business day, while Federal Law Search provides real-time hearing dates and times for current matters and covers all cases commenced since 1 January 1984. Use the daily list for tomorrow's hearings and Federal Law Search to confirm the latest details on a particular case.