NSW Albury Supreme Court List Today

The Albury Supreme Court list sets out the matters listed before the Supreme Court of New South Wales when it sits on circuit in Albury. The Supreme Court is a single, state-wide court that sits permanently in Sydney and travels to regional centres so that people living well outside the capital can reach the state's highest trial court. Albury, positioned on the New South Wales and Victoria border, is one of a small group of regional Supreme Court circuit locations that also includes Dubbo, Orange, Newcastle, Tamworth and Port Macquarie. For parties and legal practitioners across the Riverina, the Murray region and the southern tablelands, the Albury circuit removes the need to travel more than 500 kilometres to Sydney to have a serious criminal trial or a complex civil dispute heard.

Because the Supreme Court hears the most serious matters in the state, an Albury sitting typically deals with indictable crime that cannot be finalised in the Local or District Courts, along with high-value civil claims and urgent applications. The daily Albury court list on this page reflects what has been scheduled for the Albury courtroom, and it is the quickest way for defendants, witnesses, victims, journalists and members of the public to confirm whether a matter is proceeding before making the trip to the courthouse.

If your matter is not in fact listed before the Supreme Court, it is worth checking the other lists in the same city. Most day to day criminal and civil work in the region is finalised at the Albury Local Court, while serious indictable charges and civil claims below the Supreme Court threshold are heard at the Albury District Court. A death reported to the authorities is a separate matter again and is investigated through the Albury Coroner's Court. Confirming the right court first saves a wasted trip.

What the Supreme Court of New South Wales Hears

The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest court in the state. Its modern framework is set out in the Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW), and it is administered by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. The Court traces its origins to 1824 and marked its bicentenary in 2024 with a commemorative sitting held on 17 May 2024, making it one of the oldest continuous institutions in the country. It exercises unlimited jurisdiction in both criminal and civil matters, which is why it deals with the cases that carry the greatest consequences.

Criminal jurisdiction

In its criminal jurisdiction the Court hears the gravest indictable offences, most notably murder, manslaughter and treason. These are the charges that the District Court is not permitted to finalise. Criminal trials in the Supreme Court are heard by a judge and jury unless the accused elects a judge-alone trial, and a single judge decides sentence after conviction or a plea of guilty. When the Court sits on circuit in Albury, it is usually a Common Law Division judge presiding over this kind of serious criminal trial or a related application, such as a fitness to be tried inquiry.

Civil jurisdiction

On the civil side, the Supreme Court manages large and complex disputes, generally those valued above 750,000 dollars, although in practice it hears many claims of far greater value. Its civil work spans commercial litigation, contract and negligence claims, professional liability, corporations and insolvency matters, trusts, probate and family provision claims, possession proceedings and judicial review of government decisions. Specialist case management lists, including the Commercial List and the Technology and Construction List, keep intricate matters moving through intensive supervision.

Appellate jurisdiction

The Supreme Court also houses two appeal courts. The Court of Appeal reviews decisions of the District Court and of single Supreme Court judges in civil matters, ordinarily sitting as a panel of three judges. The Court of Criminal Appeal reviews criminal convictions and sentences. Appeals from the Supreme Court itself can only go to the High Court of Australia, which sits at the very top of the Australian court hierarchy.

Where the Supreme Court Sits in the NSW Court Hierarchy

Understanding the hierarchy helps explain why a matter reaches Albury's Supreme Court list rather than another courtroom in the same city. The Local Court finalises the vast majority of matters in the Albury region, including summary offences, bail, apprehended violence orders and smaller civil claims. The District Court sits above it and handles most serious indictable offences and civil claims up to 750,000 dollars. The Supreme Court sits above both and takes the most serious criminal trials and the largest civil disputes. The three courts often share the same regional court buildings, so it is worth confirming which court and which courtroom your matter is listed in before you attend.

Supreme Court of New South Wales: Key Statistics

The Supreme Court operates as one court across New South Wales, so it does not publish caseload figures for Albury alone. The most reliable picture of its workload comes from the Court's own reporting and from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR). The following state-wide figures, drawn from the Supreme Court of New South Wales 2024 Annual Review and BOCSAR, show the scale and direction of demand that flows through every sitting, including regional circuits such as Albury.

• Criminal filings eased in 2024. The number of criminal matters filed in the Common Law Division fell by 13 per cent, while BOCSAR reported that Supreme Court finalisations were broadly stable between 2023 and 2024.
• Bail work grew sharply. Bail applications surpassed 3,100 in 2024, an increase of roughly 24 per cent, reflecting rising demand on the Court's criminal side.
• Possession claims kept climbing. Filings in the Possession List rose for a fourth consecutive year to 1,632 matters, a trend the Court linked in part to higher interest rates and cost of living pressures.
• Equity Division filings rose 7 per cent. Within that increase, the Corporations List jumped 37 per cent, the Real Property List rose 15 per cent and probate applications increased 9 per cent.
• Equity disposals were substantial. The Equity Division finalised 4,010 matters in 2024, of which 576 involved at least one hearing, while its pending caseload grew 10 per cent.
• Civil throughput in Common Law held firm. The Division disposed of 1,955 contested civil cases, a small rise on the previous year.
• Sentencing volume in the Criminal Division. The Court handed down 63 criminal sentences in 2024, down 14 per cent on 2023, reflecting the small number but high seriousness of matters at this level.
• Serious cases take time. In 2024, 29 per cent of criminal cases were finalised within 12 months and 80 per cent within 24 months, a reminder that Supreme Court trials are long and complex.
• Appeals stayed timely. Both the Court of Appeal and the Court of Criminal Appeal met or exceeded national timeliness benchmarks for finalising matters.

These numbers underline why circuit sittings matter. A single serious trial can occupy a courtroom for weeks, so publishing an accurate daily list keeps witnesses, jurors and the public informed and reduces wasted trips to the Albury courthouse.

How to Read the Albury Supreme Court Daily List

The Albury Supreme Court list today is designed to be read at a glance. Each entry pairs a matter with the courtroom and the scheduled start time so you can locate your hearing quickly.

When the list is published and updated

Court lists for New South Wales are generally prepared in the afternoon before the sitting day, with updates published around 3:30 pm each business day for the following working day. Listings can still change after publication, so practitioners and parties should check again on the morning of the hearing. Official listings can also be confirmed through the NSW Online Registry and the Supreme Court website.

What each listing tells you

• Party or matter name, often partially masked on public listings to protect privacy.
• Courtroom, such as Court 1 at Albury, so you attend the correct room.
• Listing time, commonly 10:00 am for trials and hearings.
• Listing type, which may include a trial, sentence, arraignment, directions hearing or urgent application.

The Albury Courthouse and Access to Justice on the Border

Albury has a long judicial history. The historic Albury Courthouse, part of the city's civic precinct, was completed in 1860 as the third courthouse built in the town and was designed by Colonial Architect Alexander Dawson in the Victorian Free Classical style, with a distinctive sandstone street facade. Today the city's court precinct supports Local, District and Supreme Court work, and the Supreme Court circuit sitting allows the most serious criminal and civil matters from the surrounding region to be heard close to where the parties, witnesses and evidence are located. The Albury court complex also offers audio-visual link and remote witness facilities, which are frequently used for custody appearances and vulnerable witnesses.

Attending the Albury Supreme Court

Supreme Court hearings are generally open to the public, subject to any direction by the presiding judge. If you plan to attend, keep the following in mind.

• Confirm the matter on the current Albury court list before travelling, as listings can change late.
• Arrive early to clear security screening and to find the correct courtroom.
• Silence mobile phones, and do not photograph, film or record proceedings, which is prohibited.
• If you are a witness or a party, follow any instructions from the registry, the Crown or your legal representative about where and when to wait.
• Dress and behave respectfully, and stand when the judge enters or leaves the courtroom.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Supreme Court sit in Albury?

Yes. The Supreme Court of New South Wales sits permanently in Sydney and travels on circuit to a number of regional centres, including Albury. Circuit sittings are held as required, which is why the Albury Supreme Court list may show a small number of matters on any given day rather than a full daily roster.

What types of cases does the Albury Supreme Court hear?

It hears the most serious matters in the state's jurisdiction. On the criminal side this means offences such as murder and manslaughter, along with related applications. On the civil side it can include large or complex disputes and urgent applications that fall within Supreme Court jurisdiction.

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

The District Court handles most serious indictable offences and civil claims up to 750,000 dollars, but it cannot finalise murder or treason. The Supreme Court sits above it, hearing the gravest criminal charges, the largest civil claims and appeals. Both courts commonly sit in the same regional court building, so always confirm which court your matter is listed before attending.

When is the Albury Supreme Court list updated?

Daily lists are usually published in the afternoon before the sitting day, with updates around 3:30 pm for the next working day. Because changes can occur after publication, check again on the morning of your hearing.

Can I attend an Albury Supreme Court hearing?

Most hearings are open to the public. A judge may restrict access in particular cases, for example to protect a witness or where a suppression order applies. Recording and photography inside the courtroom are not permitted.

Can a decision of the Supreme Court at Albury be appealed?

Yes. Civil decisions of a single judge may be appealed to the Court of Appeal, and criminal convictions or sentences may be challenged in the Court of Criminal Appeal. A further appeal from the Supreme Court can only be made to the High Court of Australia.

How do I confirm whether the Supreme Court is sitting in Albury?

Check the daily Albury Supreme Court list on this page, and confirm details through the NSW Online Registry or the Supreme Court of New South Wales website. If in doubt, contact the court registry directly before you travel.

The Supreme Court reaches the Albury region as part of a wider southern circuit. Other centres in the Riverina host their own registries, so a matter connected to yours may sit elsewhere on the same day. Serious indictable work further west is handled at the Wagga Wagga District Court. If a matter began by way of committal in a lower court, it will have passed through those local registries before ever reaching a Supreme Court list here.