QLD Brisbane Magistrates Court List Today

The Brisbane Magistrates Court sits at 363 George Street in the Brisbane CBD and is the single busiest entry point into the Queensland criminal justice system. Almost every adult criminal charge in the metropolitan area begins here, whether it is a minor traffic matter, a public nuisance charge, a domestic violence order application, or a serious indictable offence heading for committal to a higher court. If you have a matter listed, the daily court list published on this page tells you your courtroom number and start time, so you can confirm exactly where to be before you leave home. Magistrates Court lists in Queensland are refreshed at 6:45am and again at 8:45am each sitting day to capture overnight arrests, which means the version you checked the night before may have changed by the time court opens.

To put the workload in perspective, the Magistrates Courts of Queensland dealt with 163,197 adult defendants on 371,644 charges across the state in 2023 to 2024, according to the Magistrates Court of Queensland Annual Report. Brisbane accounts for a substantial share of that statewide volume because it is the largest registry in the network. The court also finalises the overwhelming majority of criminal matters at first instance, with only a minority proceeding by committal to the District or Supreme Court. That scale is exactly why arriving early, reading the list carefully, and knowing the building layout matters so much on the day.

What the Brisbane Magistrates Court Deals With

The Magistrates Court is the workhorse of the Queensland court system. A single magistrate hears each matter without a jury and decides questions of bail, summary offences, and whether there is enough evidence to commit an indictable matter to a higher court. The jurisdiction is established under the Justices Act 1886 for criminal proceedings and the Magistrates Courts Act 1921 for civil proceedings, and the court applies offence provisions drawn largely from the Criminal Code Act 1899 and Queensland traffic legislation.

The main categories of work handled at 363 George Street include the following:

• Criminal mentions and summary hearings for adult defendants aged 18 and over, covering offences such as stealing, public nuisance, drug possession, assault, and fraud.
• Traffic matters, including drink driving, unlicensed driving, and applications for a work licence or special hardship order.
• Domestic and family violence order applications under the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012.
• Committal proceedings, where the magistrate decides whether an indictable charge should proceed to the District or Supreme Court.
• Bail applications, including matters dealt with through the dedicated arrest court for people held in custody after an overnight arrest.
• Minor civil disputes within the monetary limits of the court's civil jurisdiction.

Criminal matters involving young people under 18 are not heard in the adult list. They are dealt with by the Brisbane Childrens Court, which operates in the same building and applies the Youth Justice Act 1992. Across Queensland in 2023 to 2024 there were 7,317 finalised appearances of child defendants in all criminal courts, and appearances in the Magistrates (Childrens) Court rose from 6,338 to 6,735, so the youth list remains a significant and growing part of the building's daily activity.

Where the Court Sits and How the Building Works

The Brisbane Magistrates Court building opened on 16 November 2004 after groundbreaking in September 2002. It was designed by Cox Rayner Architects and built at a cost of around A$135.5 million. The 14 storey, purpose built facility contains 26 courtrooms, including a dedicated arrest court, the domestic violence list, and a Murri Court, all under one roof. That concentration of courtrooms is part of why Brisbane carries such a heavy proportion of the state's magistrates workload.

It is easy to confuse the buildings on George Street, and turning up at the wrong one is one of the most common and avoidable mistakes people make. Here is how the three main court buildings in the precinct differ:

363 George Street

This is the Brisbane Magistrates Court, where criminal and traffic matters start and where domestic violence applications and the arrest court sit.

415 George Street

This is the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law, which opened in August 2012 with 39 courtrooms and houses the District Court, the Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal. If your matter has been committed from the Magistrates Court, this is usually where it continues.

119 North Quay

This is the Harry Gibbs Commonwealth Law Courts, which handles federal family law matters. It is a separate building a short walk away.

What Happens After a Magistrates Court Mention

From the Magistrates Court, a criminal matter generally travels in one of three directions. It can be finalised on a plea and sentence in the Magistrates Court itself. It can proceed to a summary hearing if the defendant pleads not guilty to a matter the court can decide. Or it can be committed to a higher court for more serious indictable charges.

The higher courts give a sense of what lies beyond a committal. The District Court of Queensland recorded 6,659 new criminal lodgements in 2023 to 2024 and finalised 6,684 matters, producing a clearance rate of about 100.4 per cent, alongside 4,096 civil lodgements. In 2024 to 2025 the District Court reported that new criminal lodgements eased across the state, falling by 6.8 per cent in Brisbane specifically. The Supreme Court's trial division, which handles the most serious offences such as murder and large scale drug trafficking, recorded 1,604 criminal lodgements in 2023 to 2024 with a clearance rate of 98.8 per cent. These figures show that the great bulk of criminal work is resolved at the magistrates level and never reaches the higher courts.

Arriving at Court and Reading the Daily List

For a morning listing, aim to arrive by around 8:15am. You need time to clear security screening at the entrance, find the electronic display boards in the foyer, match your name to a courtroom number and floor, and, if you need one, put your name down for the duty lawyer service. Registry counter hours are generally 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday. If your name is called and you are not present, the magistrate can issue a warrant for your arrest, which is exactly the outcome checking the list carefully is designed to prevent.

If you were arrested overnight and are being held in custody, your first appearance will usually be handled through the Brisbane arrest court list, which deals with bail and first mentions for people in custody. Because that list is generated from overnight events, it is precisely why the whole Magistrates Court schedule is updated twice each morning.

Practical checklist before you attend

• Check the daily law list on this page before you leave home, and again after the 8:45am update.
• Note your courtroom number, floor, and the time listed next to your name.
• Allow extra time for security screening at the George Street entrance.
• Dress neatly and turn your phone off before entering the courtroom.
• Ask registry staff or the duty lawyer desk early if you are unsure where to go.
• Arrange an interpreter through the registry in advance rather than on the day.

Duty Lawyer Assistance

Legal Aid Queensland runs a free duty lawyer service at 363 George Street. A duty lawyer can seek an adjournment, apply for or vary bail, appear on a straightforward guilty plea, deal with a breach of bail or probation, and help you obtain your QP9 court brief. The service is genuinely useful but genuinely limited. Duty lawyers do not run committals or trials, do not handle complex sentences, and generally will not take traffic matters, so it is worth knowing early whether your matter falls inside or outside what they can assist with. Demand is high, so put your name down as soon as you arrive.

Getting There and Parking

The court is well served by public transport. Roma Street Station and Central Station are both within walking distance, and numerous Brisbane City Council bus routes stop along George Street and nearby CBD locations. There is no public parking at the court itself. Paid commercial car parks in the CBD are available but expensive, and early bird rates usually require you to arrive well before a morning listing, so public transport is often the simpler option. The building provides wheelchair access, lifts, accessible restrooms, and support services.

Other Queensland Courts and Nearby Registries

Brisbane is the largest hub, but it is one of many sitting locations across the state. If your matter is listed elsewhere, or you want to see how the metropolitan courts connect, the statewide Queensland Magistrates Court list brings together daily listings from every registry in one place. To the south, the Beenleigh Magistrates Court serves Logan and the northern Gold Coast corridor, while the Ipswich Magistrates Court covers the western corridor. Choosing the correct registry before you travel avoids a wasted trip and a possible failure to appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Brisbane Magistrates Court located?

The court is at 363 George Street, Brisbane QLD 4000, in the CBD. Postal mail goes to GPO Box 1649, Brisbane QLD 4001. It is a separate building from the District and Supreme Courts at 415 George Street.

What time should I arrive for a morning listing?

Aim to be there by about 8:15am. You need time to clear security, read the daily law list on the foyer screens, locate your courtroom, and speak to the duty lawyer if you need one. Most criminal matters are listed for the morning.

How often is the Brisbane Magistrates Court list updated?

Queensland Magistrates Court lists are updated twice each sitting day, first at 6:45am and again at 8:45am, to account for overnight arrests. Always check the most recent version before you attend.

What happens if I miss my court date?

If your name is called and you are not present, the magistrate can issue a warrant for your arrest. Checking the daily list early and arriving in good time is the simplest way to avoid this.

Is there a free lawyer at the Brisbane Magistrates Court?

Yes. Legal Aid Queensland provides a free duty lawyer service on site for tasks such as adjournments, bail applications, simple guilty pleas, and breaches. The service does not cover committals, trials, complex sentences, or most traffic matters.

Does the Brisbane Magistrates Court hear cases involving children?

No. Adults aged 18 and over are dealt with in the Magistrates Court, while defendants under 18 are heard in the Brisbane Childrens Court, which operates in the same building under separate youth justice legislation.