QLD Brisbane Supreme District Court List Today

The Brisbane Supreme and District Court operate from the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law at 415 George Street in the Brisbane CBD, the busiest higher-court precinct in Queensland. If you are trying to find out when a matter is listed, which courtroom to attend, or whether a hearing has moved, the daily law list is the fastest way to confirm it. This page brings together the Brisbane Supreme Court list and the Brisbane District Court list in one place, updated for each sitting day, so litigants, solicitors, barristers, journalists, and members of the public can check listings without navigating multiple government portals. Below you will also find verified statistics, jurisdictional thresholds, and practical guidance drawn from the most recent Queensland court annual reports.

What the Brisbane Supreme and District Court daily list shows

A daily court list is the official schedule of matters set down for hearing on a given day. For the Brisbane Supreme and District Court, each entry typically identifies the case name or defendant, the matter type, the presiding judge or judicial officer, the courtroom number, and the scheduled time. Because both courts share the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law, the same building can host a Supreme Court murder trial, a District Court sentence, and a civil applications hearing on the same morning, which is why reading the list carefully matters. The court, the floor, and the courtroom all need to be correct before you arrive.

Listings are published the afternoon before each sitting day and are often revised on the morning itself as matters settle, adjourn, or are reallocated between courtrooms. If you are appearing, checking the Brisbane court list on the day of your hearing rather than relying on an earlier version is the safest approach. The building operates a public counter between 8:30am and 4:30pm, and security screening applies at the George Street entrance for everyone attending.

The Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law: one of Australia's largest court complexes

Opened in August 2012 at a cost of approximately $570 million, the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law is one of the largest court buildings in the country. The complex holds 39 courtrooms, including the ceremonial Banco Court, spread across a building of roughly 60,000 square metres and up to 19 levels. It provides chambers for around 69 judges and co-locates the Supreme Court and the District Court under one roof, an arrangement that is unique in Australia and delivers shared facilities such as registry services, a law library, and secure custody access.

The precinct occupies an entire Brisbane city block bounded by George, Roma, and Turbot Streets, and connects to the adjacent Brisbane Magistrates Court to form a single legal district. Courtrooms are fitted for videoconferencing and electronic trials, with separate circulation routes for judges, jurors, people in custody, vulnerable witnesses, and the public. For anyone attending, the building sits within walking distance of Roma Street station and King George Square busway station, making public transport the most practical way to arrive.

Getting there and what to bring

• Address: 415 George Street, Brisbane QLD 4000, with public entry from George Street.
• Public transport: a short walk from Roma Street railway station and King George Square busway station.
• Registry hours: the counter is generally open 8:30am to 4:30pm on business days.
• Security: airport-style screening applies, so allow extra time before your listed hearing.
• Identification: bring photo ID and any documents referenced in your listing or bail undertaking.

Supreme Court of Queensland: jurisdiction and caseload

The Supreme Court is the highest court in Queensland and sits in two divisions, the Trial Division and the Court of Appeal. In its criminal jurisdiction it hears the most serious indictable offences, including murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, and trafficking in Schedule 1 drugs, with trials usually determined by a jury of twelve. Its civil jurisdiction is unlimited, and it also handles corporate insolvency matters such as applications to wind up a company.

The scale of the workload is substantial. According to the Supreme Court of Queensland Annual Report 2023-24, the court recorded 3,526 civil lodgements, up from 3,203 the previous year, alongside 1,604 criminal lodgements in the Trial Division. The Trial Division disposed of 1,585 criminal cases for a clearance rate of 98.8 percent, ending the year with 659 outstanding matters. Of those outstanding cases, 17.5 percent were more than 12 months old and 4.6 percent were more than 24 months old, a portion of which reflect retrials ordered on appeal or referrals to the Mental Health Court.

The same report notes practice reforms aimed at reducing delay, including a new Building, Engineering and Construction List and an updated approach to listing and case management of criminal matters in Brisbane. Circuit sittings extend the Supreme Court's reach beyond Brisbane to regional centres such as Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, and Toowoomba, but the George Street complex remains the primary venue and the symbolic centre of the judicial branch in Queensland.

District Court of Queensland: the busy intermediate court

The District Court is the intermediate court in the Queensland hierarchy and one of the largest and busiest higher courts in Australia. In criminal matters it deals with serious indictable offences that carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years, such as armed robbery, grievous bodily harm, serious sexual offences, and significant fraud, and it can hear certain offences carrying life imprisonment, including rape, arson, and armed robbery. It also determines criminal and civil appeals from the Magistrates Court, and its judges sit as Planning and Environment Court and Childrens Court of Queensland judges.

The District Court of Queensland Annual Report 2023-24 recorded 4,096 civil lodgements, an increase of 5.9 percent on the previous year, and reported that the Brisbane criminal clearance rate sat at a healthy level while statewide criminal lodgements eased slightly. In 2023-24 the court also dealt with 68 civil appeals and 265 criminal appeals lodged, finalising 91 civil and 270 criminal appeals for clearance rates of 133.8 percent and 101.9 percent respectively. Most civil proceedings are filed in the Brisbane registry, which underlines why the George Street list is the one most people need to check.

Recent change to the District Court civil limit

For many years the District Court's civil monetary limit was set at $750,000 under section 68 of the District Court of Queensland Act 1967, with claims above that threshold heard in the Supreme Court. In 2026 that limit was expanded toward $1.5 million, the most significant lift to the court's civil jurisdiction in over two decades. The practical effect is that a large band of commercial and personal injury claims that once defaulted to the Supreme Court will now be managed in the District Court, which affects filing decisions and costs recovery. If you are unsure which court a claim belongs in, the value of the dispute and the nature of the offence are the two questions that decide it.

Where the Brisbane courts sit in the Queensland hierarchy

Understanding the hierarchy helps you read any listing correctly and confirm you are attending the right court. The structure runs from tribunals and the Magistrates Court through the District Court to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

• QCAT: minor civil disputes and small claims up to $25,000, plus tenancy, guardianship, and administrative reviews.
• Magistrates Court: summary offences, committals, domestic violence orders, and civil claims up to $150,000. Most Queensland matters begin here.
• District Court: serious indictable offences with penalties up to 20 years, appeals from the Magistrates Court, and civil claims formerly up to $750,000 and now expanded toward $1.5 million.
• Supreme Court: the most serious crime including murder and manslaughter, unlimited civil jurisdiction, and insolvency, with a Court of Appeal hearing appeals from both trial divisions.

If your matter started in the Magistrates Court and has been committed for trial or sentence, it will usually appear on the District or Supreme Court list at George Street. If you are checking a lower-court matter instead, the Brisbane Magistrates Court list today is the right place to look, and the statewide Queensland Magistrates Court directory covers regional registries.

Who uses the daily Brisbane court list

The daily list serves several distinct audiences. Defendants and their families check it to confirm the time and courtroom for a sentence, mention, or trial. Solicitors and barristers use it to plan appearances across multiple matters and courtrooms in a single sitting day. Journalists and researchers rely on it to identify matters of public interest, since court proceedings in Queensland are generally open to the public. Witnesses and jurors use it to confirm where to report. Because the Supreme and District Courts share the building, one consolidated list saves considerable time compared with checking each jurisdiction separately.

Reading your listing without mistakes

1. Confirm the court first, since Supreme and District matters sit in the same building on different floors.
2. Note the courtroom number and floor exactly as printed, then allow time for security screening.
3. Check whether the entry is a mention, application, sentence, or trial, because the expected duration differs greatly.
4. Re-check the list on the morning of your hearing, as courtrooms and times are frequently reallocated.
5. If your matter is not shown, contact the registry rather than assuming it has been adjourned.

Circuit sittings and regional listings

While Brisbane is the principal venue, both the Supreme and District Courts travel on circuit to regional Queensland. District Court judges sit at up to 32 centres across the state, and Supreme Court judges conduct regional sittings in the major centres. If your matter is listed outside Brisbane, you will need the relevant regional list rather than the George Street one. For higher-court matters on the Gold Coast, the Southport Supreme and District Court listings cover that registry, and other regional pages across the site cover Cairns, Townsville, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, and beyond.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find the Brisbane District Court list today?

The Brisbane District Court list for the current sitting day is published on this page and refreshed for each business day. Listings appear the afternoon before and are commonly updated on the morning of the hearing, so check again on the day itself. Look for your case name or defendant name, then confirm the courtroom and time before heading to 415 George Street.

Is the Brisbane Supreme Court list separate from the District Court list?

They are separate jurisdictions but they sit in the same building, the Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law. This page brings both the Brisbane Supreme Court list and the District Court list together so you can confirm which court, floor, and courtroom applies to your matter without switching between sources.

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

The Supreme Court hears the most serious crime, such as murder and manslaughter, and has unlimited civil jurisdiction. The District Court handles serious indictable offences with penalties up to 20 years, appeals from the Magistrates Court, and civil claims formerly capped at $750,000 and now expanded toward $1.5 million as of 2026. Both sit at 415 George Street.

Can the public attend hearings at the Brisbane courts?

Yes. Court proceedings in Queensland are generally open to the public, though a judge can close a courtroom or make suppression orders in limited circumstances, and some matters involving children or vulnerable witnesses are restricted. Security screening applies at the George Street entrance, so arrive early.

What time do the Brisbane Supreme and District Courts sit?

Most matters are listed from 9:00am or 10:00am, with the registry counter open 8:30am to 4:30pm. Exact start times appear against each entry in the daily list, so always follow the time printed for your specific matter rather than a general assumption.

Where do I go if my case is not in Brisbane?

If your matter is listed at a regional registry, use the corresponding regional court list rather than the Brisbane one. Higher-court matters travel on circuit to centres across Queensland, and the site maintains dedicated pages for each location, including the Ipswich Supreme and District Court and other regional registries.