NSW Bail Division – Court 4 Local Court List Today

Understanding the NSW Bail Division Court 4 Daily Court List

The NSW Bail Division Court 4 list sets out the bail and fresh custody matters allocated to Court 4, one of the virtual courtrooms operating within the Local Court of New South Wales Bail Division. Each entry on the daily list represents a person held in custody whose bail is being decided by a Judge of the Local Court, usually on the same day they were arrested and processed. Because the Bail Division sits seven days a week and hears matters from across the state, the Court 4 list can change several times during a sitting day as new applications become ready and matters are reallocated between courtrooms.

This page tracks the Court 4 schedule so parties, family members, support people and legal practitioners can see who is listed, at what time, and in which virtual courtroom. Listings are indicative only, and start times often shift once the day is under way, so the list should be treated as a planning tool rather than a fixed timetable.

What the NSW Bail Division Is and Why It Was Created

The Bail Division is a centralised, online court that manages first appearance bail decisions for people refused bail by police. It began operating on 7 July 2025 for regional NSW, along with Newtown and Waverley Local Courts, and was later extended to first instance bail matters from the Downing Centre. It now runs every day of the week, covering regional NSW, the Downing Centre, Newtown and Waverley on weekdays and the whole of New South Wales on weekends, with weekday coverage being widened progressively toward statewide operation.

A statewide response to inconsistent bail outcomes

The reform followed serious concern about bail being decided by registrars during weekend hearings rather than by judicial officers. The NSW Government committed a $34 million investment over four years and appointed six additional magistrates to staff the new courts, which launched with six virtual courtrooms and have since expanded to meet demand. The aim is to bring consistency to bail decisions, free up local courtrooms for other work, and make sure that specialised judicial officers, rather than court registrars, decide contested bail applications.

The status of those officers changed on 28 March 2026, when the Local Court and Bail Legislation Amendment Act 2025 commenced and Magistrates became Judges of the Local Court. The court is now led by a Chief Judge, supported by three Deputy Chief Judges, so the officer presiding over the Court 4 list holds the title Judge of the Local Court.

What Court 4 Hears: The Three Matter Types

Court 4 deals with adult fresh custody matters. Almost every entry on the list falls into one of three categories.

Police bail refusals

This is the most common matter type. When police charge a person and decline to grant bail, that person is brought before the Bail Division so a judicial officer can decide whether they are released into the community or remanded in custody until their next court date.

Executed arrest warrants

Where a warrant has been acted on and led to an arrest, the person is listed so the court can deal with their custody status and any related bail question.

Detention applications

These are applications to keep a person in custody or to release them, and they frequently arise from an alleged breach of existing bail conditions.

How the Court 4 Bail List Works Each Day

Sitting times and the midday cut-off

The Bail Division commences sitting at 9:30 am. On weekdays a 12 pm cut-off applies: a person arrested and processed before noon is eligible to have their matter heard that same day, while anyone processed after the cut-off is generally given priority in the following day's list. On weekends an earlier cut-off of 10 am applies. Custody managers can request late admission after the cut-off, and those requests are considered by the Registrar or the coordinating judicial officer.

First appearances at the Bail Division cover people processed from across the state, but the underlying charges return to a local registry once bail is set. Many Sydney matters carry through to the Downing Centre Local Court list, while others go back to the person's home court. If you are following someone's substantive matter rather than the bail decision, that local list, not the Court 4 list, is the one to check for the next appearance date.

Virtual hearings by audio visual link

There is no physical courtroom for Court 4. Every participant joins by audio visual link using the Webex platform, which runs in a standard web browser without any software installation. Those appearing include:

• the defendant, who appears by video from a police station or a corrective services facility;
• the presiding Judge of the Local Court;
• the police prosecutor;
• the defence lawyer, which for adults may be a free Legal Aid NSW duty lawyer, an Aboriginal Legal Service practitioner or a private solicitor;
• family or support people, where relevant.

The Bail Division is generally open to the public, and observers, including media, can request dial-in details from the registry. Recording or photographing proceedings is an offence under the Court Security Act 2005.

NSW Bail and Remand in Numbers

The Court 4 list sits within a court system under significant pressure, and the statistics explain why a dedicated bail court was created.

• According to BOCSAR, 151,113 defendants had a criminal court appearance finalised in the 12 months to June 2025, and 94% of those finalisations occurred in the Local Court.
• The share of defendants refused bail at finalisation has climbed steadily, from 7.5% in 2023 to 9.2% in 2024 and 9.3% in the year to June 2025. That most recent figure represents 13,875 defendants.
• The remand population reached a record 6,650 people in March 2026, and the total adult prison population hit 14,070, the highest on record.
• Between November 2025 and March 2026 the prison population rose by 1,064 people, or 8%, growth that BOCSAR attributes largely to more people being held on remand.
• Aboriginal adults made up 34.4% of the prison population in March 2026, a record 4,834 people, with much of the recent increase linked to remand for domestic violence related offences.
• Domestic violence matters accounted for around 26% of all Local Court finalisations in 2024.

These numbers show why bail decisions carry such weight. A refusal often means time in custody before any finding of guilt, and delays compound the effect: BOCSAR reports that defended hearings in the Local Court took a median of 275 days from arrest to finalisation in 2024, some 28 days longer than in 2020.

How to Read and Search the Court 4 Bail Division List

Names on this page are partially masked to protect privacy, and each row shows the listed time and courtroom allocation. To confirm a specific matter or search across all Bail Division courts, the official NSW Online Registry court list search allows lookups by party name, case number, court, presiding officer and listing type. Listings there appear up to three weeks ahead and for the previous week, and the data refreshes roughly every 60 seconds. Because allocations between Court 4 and the other virtual courtrooms can be reassessed during the day, checking again shortly before a listed time is sensible.

What Happens After a Court 4 Bail Hearing

Once bail is decided, the outcome is either release on bail, often with conditions, or a remand in custody until the next listed date. Conditions can range from reporting and residence requirements to curfews, sureties, and electronic monitoring for serious domestic violence offences. If bail is refused, the person may seek a review or apply to the Supreme Court, and their substantive charges continue to be dealt with in the relevant Local Court.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Court 4 a physical courtroom I can attend in person?

No. Court 4 is a virtual courtroom within the Bail Division. Proceedings are conducted entirely by audio visual link, though members of the public can request dial-in details to observe.

Why is a person listed but not heard until the next day?

If a defendant is arrested or processed after the daily cut-off, noon on weekdays or 10 am on weekends, their matter is usually carried over and given priority in the next day's list.

Do defendants get a lawyer in the Bail Division?

Yes. Adults appearing in the Bail Division can access a free Legal Aid NSW duty lawyer, and they may also be represented by an Aboriginal Legal Service practitioner or a private solicitor.

Are the names and times on this list final?

No. The list is indicative. Times move as the day progresses and matters can be reallocated between courtrooms, so details should always be confirmed with the registry before relying on them.

What is the difference between the Bail Division and a normal Local Court appearance?

The Bail Division only decides the initial bail question for people in fresh custody. Once bail is determined, the underlying charges are handled through the ordinary Local Court process.

If bail is refused here, the next step is often a detained application to the Supreme Court, where a judge can review the decision afresh. Those release applications are dealt with through the Supreme Court of NSW in Sydney. Other virtual courtrooms run alongside this one, so if a name is not on the Court 4 list, try the Bail Division Court 5 list before contacting the registry.