NSW Parramatta Supreme Court List Today

When the Supreme Court of New South Wales travels to the Mid North Coast, its most serious matters are heard at the Port Macquarie courthouse on Murray Street, the same complex that houses the region's Local and District Court sittings. As the highest court in the state, the Supreme Court does not maintain a permanent bench in every town. Instead it conducts circuit sittings in regional centres such as Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Dubbo, Albury, Orange and Tamworth, bringing homicide trials, complex civil disputes and other superior-court proceedings closer to the communities where they arise. If you are trying to confirm whether a matter is listed, when it will be called and which courtroom it is in, the daily Port Macquarie district court and Supreme Court schedules published here are updated multiple times each sitting day so you are never relying on a printed sheet that has gone stale.

The Supreme Court sits at the top of a three-tier hierarchy in New South Wales. Beneath it sits the District Court, the intermediate court, and below that the Local Court, which finalises the overwhelming majority of criminal matters in the state. Established under the Supreme Court Act 1970 (NSW) and tracing its origins to the Third Charter of Justice proclaimed on 17 May 1824, the Court marked its bicentenary in May 2024, making it one of the oldest continuously operating superior courts in Australia. Understanding where a Port Macquarie Supreme Court sitting fits within that structure helps parties, witnesses, students and members of the public know what to expect on the day.

What the Supreme Court hears at Port Macquarie

The Supreme Court exercises unlimited jurisdiction in both criminal and civil matters, which sets it apart from the courts below it. When it convenes at Port Macquarie, the matters listed are almost always the most serious the legal system deals with. In its criminal jurisdiction, the Common Law Division of the Supreme Court hears offences that carry the gravest penalties, including murder, manslaughter and other homicide offences, as well as certain drug matters and cases where the maximum penalty may include life imprisonment. These are the trials that cannot be dealt with by a magistrate or a District Court judge.

On the civil side, the Court handles large and complex disputes, generally those exceeding the District Court's monetary ceiling of $750,000, along with commercial litigation, equity proceedings, defamation actions, professional negligence claims, contested probate and administration of deceased estates, and judicial review of decisions made by government bodies. When a regional matter is too significant or too legally complex for the intermediate court, a Supreme Court judge may hear it on circuit rather than requiring every party to travel to Sydney.

Criminal matters at the superior court

• Homicide offences such as murder and manslaughter, which by law must be dealt with in the Supreme Court.
• Serious drug importation and supply matters where the quantity or circumstances attract the highest penalties.
• Offences carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and other matters of serious criminality brought before the Court with the Chief Justice's approval.
• Bail applications and reviews connected to matters within the Court's criminal list.

Civil matters at the superior court

• Claims exceeding $750,000, including personal injury, contractual disputes and commercial litigation.
• Equity proceedings covering trusts, partnerships, injunctions and other remedies beyond simple damages.
• Probate and succession matters, including family provision claims and contentious estate disputes.
• Judicial review of administrative and government decisions affecting residents of the Mid North Coast.

How busy is the Supreme Court of NSW?

The scale of the Supreme Court's work helps explain why circuit sittings matter. According to the Court's 2024 Annual Review, the Common Law Division's criminal caseload continues to run alongside a heavy civil and equity workload, and pending numbers have been climbing. In 2024 the Equity Division recorded a 24 percent increase in family provision matters and a 42 percent increase in contentious probate matters, with the overall pending caseload growing by roughly 10 percent across the year. Of the 4,010 civil disposals recorded in the Equity Division that year, 576 required at least one hearing listing, illustrating how much of the Court's output is resolved through case management rather than full trial.

Timeliness data from the same review shows the pressure superior courts are under. In 2024, 76 percent of Equity Division cases were finalised within 12 months, below the national benchmark of 90 percent, while 90 percent were finalised within 24 months, below the national benchmark of 100 percent. The Court of Criminal Appeal recorded 319 new cases in the year, of which 162 were appeals against the severity of a sentence, 97 were appeals against conviction, 26 concerned interlocutory judgments and 9 were bail reviews. These figures underline why serious matters, whether heard in Sydney or on circuit at Port Macquarie, can take many months to reach finalisation.

Broader criminal justice statistics from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reinforce the picture. In the 12 months to June 2025, the NSW criminal courts finalised 151,113 court appearances, an increase of 7.4 percent on the previous year. District Court trial matters took a median of 826 days from arrest to finalisation, while the percentage of defendants refused bail at finalisation rose from 7.5 percent in 2023 to 9.2 percent in 2024. For anyone with a matter listed at a regional sitting, these numbers are a reminder to confirm listings early and often rather than assume a case will proceed on its first listed date.

Where the Port Macquarie court sittings are held

Supreme Court circuit sittings at Port Macquarie take place at the courthouse at 24-26 Murray Street, Port Macquarie NSW 2444, which is the shared home of the town's Local, District and Supreme Court proceedings. The current courthouse succeeded the heritage-listed Old Port Macquarie Courthouse on Clarence Street, which was designed by celebrated colonial architect James Barnet, built in 1869 and added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 before being vacated as a working court in the 1980s. The town itself was gazetted as a place for trial by jury as far back as 14 August 1838, giving Port Macquarie one of the longer judicial histories on the New South Wales coast.

Key details for visitors

• Street address: 24-26 Murray Street, Port Macquarie NSW 2444.
• Postal address: PO Box 6, Port Macquarie NSW 2444.
• Registry hours: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
• Telephone hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
• Facilities: Audio Visual Link (AVL) facilities are available in court rooms 1, 2 and 3, along with wheelchair access, lifts and accessible amenities.
• Getting there: Street and public parking is available nearby, and local bus services stop close to Horton Street. Interpreter services can be arranged in advance through the registry.

Because the same building hosts several jurisdictions, it is worth double-checking which court your matter belongs to before you arrive. Many people searching for the daily Port Macquarie local court list are actually looking for a Local Court mention, while others need the District or Supreme Court schedule. Reading your notice or summons carefully, and cross-checking it against the published list, will tell you the correct courtroom and the time your matter is expected to be called.

How to read and use the daily court list

A court list is the official running sheet for a sitting day. For a Supreme Court circuit sitting at Port Macquarie it will typically show the presiding judge, the parties, the case type and the courtroom, along with the sequence in which matters are expected to be dealt with. Superior-court lists on circuit are usually shorter than the sprawling Local Court lists, because the Supreme Court hears fewer but far weightier matters. It is not unusual for a regional Supreme Court sitting to carry only a single listed matter on a given day, so confirming the listing in advance is essential.

To make the most of the list on this page, follow a few simple steps:

1. Confirm the court and jurisdiction. Check that you are viewing the Supreme Court list rather than the District or Local Court schedule for the same address.
2. Search by name or matter. Use the party name or case reference from your notice to locate the correct entry quickly.
3. Note the courtroom and time. Court rooms 1, 2 and 3 are used at Port Macquarie, and your listing will indicate where to go.
4. Arrive early. Allow 30 minutes for security screening and to find your courtroom, as recording devices, food and drink are not permitted inside.
5. Check again on the morning. Lists are updated multiple times a day, and matters can be moved, adjourned or added at short notice.

If you are following related matters in the same region, the daily schedules for the Tamworth district court and other Mid North Coast and New England centres are published in the same format, so you can track connected proceedings across multiple courthouses without hunting through separate government portals.

Appeals and the wider NSW court structure

The Supreme Court of New South Wales is also the state's final appellate court. It houses the Court of Appeal, which reviews civil decisions of the District Court and single Supreme Court judges, and the Court of Criminal Appeal, which reviews serious criminal decisions. A decision of the Supreme Court can only be challenged further by seeking special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia, the apex court in the national system. For a matter that begins at a Port Macquarie sitting, this appellate pathway means the reasoning of a circuit judge can ultimately shape the law well beyond the Mid North Coast.

The intermediate court in the hierarchy, the District Court of New South Wales, was established in 1858 and remains extremely active. In 2024 it registered 1,273 criminal trials, heard 5,401 sentence hearings and processed 1,350 conviction appeals, while retaining civil jurisdiction for claims generally up to $750,000 and unlimited jurisdiction for motor accident and work injury matters. Many defendants whose matters begin in the Local Court are committed to the District Court, and only the gravest cases reach the Supreme Court. Knowing which rung of the ladder your matter sits on is the single most useful thing you can do before a court date.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a permanent Supreme Court in Port Macquarie?

No. The Supreme Court of NSW sits permanently in Sydney at the Law Courts Building on Queens Square and at Darlinghurst, and travels to Port Macquarie for circuit sittings as required. When it does sit, proceedings are held at the Murray Street courthouse shared with the Local and District Courts.

What sort of cases would bring the Supreme Court to Port Macquarie?

Typically the most serious criminal trials, such as homicide matters, and complex civil or equity disputes that exceed the jurisdiction of the District Court. Because these matters are comparatively rare, a regional Supreme Court sitting may carry only one listed case on a given day.

How do I find out if my matter is listed today?

Check the daily Port Macquarie Supreme Court list published on this page, which is updated multiple times each sitting day. Confirm the courtroom and time against your notice or summons, and check again on the morning of the hearing in case of adjournments or changes.

Can members of the public attend a Supreme Court hearing?

Yes. Court hearings are generally open to the public, subject to the presiding judge's discretion to close a courtroom or restrict attendance in particular cases. Recording devices are not permitted, and visitors should pass through security screening on arrival.

What are the courthouse registry hours?

The Port Macquarie registry is open 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, with telephone enquiries answered between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays.

Do I need a lawyer for a Supreme Court matter?

You may represent yourself, but given the seriousness and complexity of Supreme Court proceedings, legal representation is strongly recommended. This is general information only and not legal advice; seek advice from a qualified solicitor about your specific circumstances.