The Goondiwindi Magistrates Court is the primary court of first instance for the town of Goondiwindi and the wider Goondiwindi Region, serving a community of 10,310 people spread across a local government area of 19,258 square kilometres on the Queensland-New South Wales border. Sitting on the Macintyre River roughly 340 kilometres south-west of Brisbane, the courthouse handles the everyday criminal, civil and regulatory matters that arise across one of Australia's most productive cotton, grain and cattle districts. This page provides the daily Goondiwindi court list, sitting details and the practical information defendants, solicitors, witnesses and members of the public need before attending.
The court operates from the Goondiwindi Courthouse at 21 Herbert Street, Goondiwindi QLD 4390. The registry can be reached by phone on (07) 4671 8500 and by fax on (07) 4671 8504, or by email at courthouse.goondiwindi@justice.qld.gov.au, with postal correspondence directed to PO Box 470, Goondiwindi QLD 4390. Registry business hours are 8:30am to 1:00pm and 2:00pm to 4:30pm Monday to Thursday, and 8:30am to 12:00pm on Friday. Because Goondiwindi is a circuit and part-time registry, the counter hours differ from those of larger metropolitan courthouses, so it is worth confirming times before you travel.
Goondiwindi Court List Today
The daily law list published above shows every matter scheduled at Goondiwindi Magistrates Court, including the case reference, the courtroom and the listed time. The Goondiwindi court list today is drawn from official Queensland Courts records and refreshed multiple times a day, so parties can confirm where and when their matter is being heard without contacting the registry directly. Names are partially masked to balance the principle of open justice with personal privacy, a standard applied consistently across Queensland court lists.
Search analytics show clear demand for this information, with terms such as "goondiwindi court list", "goondiwindi court list today" and "court list goondiwindi" among the most common ways people reach this page. If your matter does not appear, check that you are viewing the correct sitting day, as Goondiwindi does not sit every weekday, and contact the registry if you remain unsure.
About Goondiwindi Magistrates Court
The Magistrates Court is the entry point to the Queensland court hierarchy and deals with the overwhelming majority of matters that come before the justice system. Statewide, Magistrates Courts finalise more than 90 per cent of all criminal cases, and Goondiwindi is no exception in acting as the workhorse of local justice. A single magistrate, rather than a jury, hears each matter and decides questions of both fact and law.
Under the Magistrates Courts Act 1921 (Qld) and the Justices Act 1886 (Qld), a magistrate may impose a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment for a single offence, rising to four years when constituted as the Drug and Alcohol Court. The court is led statewide by the Chief Magistrate of Queensland, Judge Janelle Brassington, who was appointed in July 2022, supported by two deputy chief magistrates. Magistrates are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Attorney-General and face mandatory retirement at the age of 70.
Types of matters heard at Goondiwindi
The Goondiwindi listing covers a broad cross-section of first-instance work. Common matters include:
- Traffic and vehicle offences, such as drink and drug driving, unlicensed driving, driving while disqualified and speeding infringements referred to court.
- Summary offences, including minor assaults, public nuisance, public order breaches and low-level property offences.
- Drug matters, particularly possession and minor supply charges dealt with summarily.
- Indictable offences heard summarily, such as lower-value theft, stealing and minor fraud eligible for a magistrate's determination.
- Committal hearings, where the magistrate assesses whether the evidence is sufficient to send a serious charge to a higher court for trial or sentence.
- Bail and remand applications, often the first step for more serious matters before they progress upward.
- Civil disputes within the Magistrates Court's monetary limit, along with certain domestic and family violence protection order applications.
Because Goondiwindi is a regional venue serving a large rural catchment, agricultural, biosecurity and property-related regulatory prosecutions also feature more prominently here than in metropolitan courts.
The Court Hierarchy and Where Goondiwindi Fits
Matters too serious for a magistrate to finalise move up the Queensland court hierarchy. Serious indictable offences and larger civil claims are dealt with by the District Court, which handles civil disputes up to $750,000 and serious charges such as armed robbery, sexual assault and significant fraud. The most serious matters, including murder, manslaughter and major drug trafficking, together with civil claims that exceed the District Court threshold, are reserved for the Supreme Court of Queensland.
Goondiwindi has hosted higher-court circuit sittings since the colonial era; by 1900 the Metropolitan District judge already travelled a circuit that took in Toowoomba, Warwick, Stanthorpe, Dalby, Roma, St George and Goondiwindi. Superior court matters connected to the town are listed through the Goondiwindi Supreme District Court list, where District and Supreme Court proceedings, committals for trial and appeals from the local Magistrates Court are recorded. Appeals from a magistrate's decision are generally heard in the District Court, while District Court decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court, and Supreme Court decisions ultimately to the High Court of Australia by special leave.
For parties whose matters are escalated or transferred, the nearest major superior court registry in the region is at Toowoomba. You can review sittings and callover arrangements through the Toowoomba Magistrates Court list today, which serves as the principal Darling Downs hub for both summary and higher-court work.
Attending Goondiwindi Courthouse
If you are listed to appear, arriving early is strongly advised. Court usually commences in the morning, and defendants, witnesses and support people should aim to be present and checked in well before the listed start time. A magistrate may deal with a large number of matters in a single sitting, and the order in which cases are called is at the court's discretion rather than strictly by listed time.
Practical tips before you attend
- Confirm the sitting day. Goondiwindi does not sit every weekday, so verify your date against the daily law list before travelling, particularly if you are driving from across the region or from New South Wales.
- Dress and conduct. Neat, respectful attire is expected, and mobile phones should be silenced. Stand when the magistrate enters and address the bench as "Your Honour".
- Bring your documents. Have any court papers, identification, bail undertakings and correspondence with you, along with a pen and notepad.
- Arrive early for security and check-in. Allow time to speak with the prosecutor, duty lawyer or your own solicitor before your matter is called.
- Seek legal advice. If you are unrepresented, ask registry staff whether a duty lawyer service is available on your sitting day.
Goondiwindi: The Town the Court Serves
Goondiwindi is a border service town whose name is widely understood to derive from a local Aboriginal word associated with the resting place of birds on the river. The town sits at an elevation of around 216 metres on the alluvial plains of the western Darling Downs and functions as the commercial and administrative hub for an agricultural hinterland spanning both Queensland and northern New South Wales. The 2021 Census recorded roughly 6,230 residents in the town locality, with a median age of about 40, while the broader Goondiwindi Region recorded 10,310 people.
The current courthouse continues a long civic tradition. Goondiwindi's first court house, with a lock-up attached, was built in 1861 in Marshall Street, and by the 1880s a more substantial timber court house and lock-up had been erected in Herbert Street. Newer brick premises followed in 1956 on the corner of Herbert and Russell Streets, a complex described stylistically as "Modern Georgian" that marked the transition in Queensland court house design from classical forms to the plainer approach of the 1960s. The court's Herbert Street address today reflects that deep, continuous history of justice administration in the town.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Goondiwindi Magistrates Court located?
The court sits at the Goondiwindi Courthouse, 21 Herbert Street, Goondiwindi QLD 4390. Postal mail should be addressed to PO Box 470, Goondiwindi QLD 4390.
What are the Goondiwindi Courthouse registry hours?
Registry hours are 8:30am to 1:00pm and 2:00pm to 4:30pm Monday to Thursday, and 8:30am to 12:00pm on Friday. As sitting arrangements vary, confirm your date before attending.
How do I contact the Goondiwindi court registry?
You can call the registry on (07) 4671 8500, fax (07) 4671 8504, or email courthouse.goondiwindi@justice.qld.gov.au for filing, scheduling and general enquiries.
What kinds of cases does the Goondiwindi Magistrates Court hear?
It hears summary criminal offences, traffic matters, minor drug and property offences, committal hearings for serious charges, bail and remand applications, domestic and family violence protection order applications and civil claims within its monetary limit.
Where are serious matters from Goondiwindi heard?
Serious indictable charges and larger civil claims are committed or transferred to the District or Supreme Court, listed via the Goondiwindi Supreme District Court, with the nearest major superior court registry in the region located at Toowoomba.
How often is the Goondiwindi court list updated?
The daily law list on this page is sourced from official Queensland Courts records and updated multiple times each day, so the schedule you see reflects the latest available information for the current sitting.
For a full overview of every superior and summary court across the state, including regional venues in the same district such as Inglewood Magistrates Court within the Goondiwindi Region, visit our complete Queensland court lists directory to find sitting details, contact information and daily law lists for the court relevant to your matter.