The Roma Magistrates Court is the principal court of first instance for the Maranoa region of South West Queensland, sitting in the heritage-listed courthouse at 141 McDowall Street, Roma QLD 4455. If you are searching for the Roma court list today, this page explains how the daily law list works, what the court hears, when it sits, and how to find your name, matter number and courtroom before you arrive. The court serves a district that stretches across one of the largest local government areas in the state, so having accurate, up-to-date listing information matters whether you are a defendant, a witness, a lawyer, or a family member supporting someone through a hearing.
Roma sits roughly 480 kilometres west of Brisbane along the Warrego Highway and is the administrative and commercial heart of the Maranoa Regional Council area. The town recorded a usual resident population of 6,838 at the 2021 Census, living in 3,471 dwellings, while the wider Maranoa Region was home to 12,825 people spread across an enormous 58,705 square kilometres. Because the region is so sparsely settled, with a density of roughly 0.22 people per square kilometre, a single courthouse in Roma carries the legal workload of dozens of surrounding rural localities. That geographic reality is exactly why a reliable online court list saves people long drives and missed appearances.
Roma Magistrates Court list today: how the daily law list works
Queensland Magistrates Court lists are published each sitting day and refreshed to capture overnight changes. Magistrates Court lists are typically updated for the day at 6.45am and then again at 8.45am, which allows the registry to add overnight arrests and bail matters before the court opens. Supreme and District Court lists for the following day are usually finalised by 6.00pm the evening before. If you check the Roma list early and cannot find your name, refresh the page after 8.45am, because late additions are common in a busy regional callover.
Each entry on the daily law list generally shows the party or defendant name, a matter or file number, the courtroom, and the scheduled time. Reading the list correctly means matching your full name and matter number rather than relying on time alone, because sitting times shift as matters are stood down, adjourned or resolved. If you are unsure which line is yours, the Roma registry can confirm your details by phone on (07) 4578 8800, and a courthouse officer can direct you to the right courtroom on the day.
What to do if your matter is not showing
- Check the date and location: confirm you are viewing the Roma list and the correct sitting day, not a nearby court such as the Dalby Magistrates Court list or another Maranoa circuit venue.
- Refresh after 8.45am: the second daily update adds matters lodged overnight, so an early check may not yet show your name.
- Look for circuit or callover entries: some matters are grouped under a mention or callover heading rather than an individual time slot.
- Call the registry: phone (07) 4578 8800 to confirm your matter number, courtroom and time if the online list is unclear.
What the Roma Magistrates Court hears
The Magistrates Court is the entry point for almost every legal matter in Queensland. Across the state, Magistrates Courts hear roughly 95 per cent of all court cases, and every criminal proceeding in Queensland begins at this level. Minor offences are dealt with summarily by a magistrate, while serious indictable offences are tested through committal proceedings and, where the evidence supports it, referred up to the District or Supreme Court. For the Maranoa community, that means the Roma courthouse handles the overwhelming majority of local legal business before anything moves to a higher court.
The court's criminal workload covers traffic offences, drink and drug driving, public order matters, property and dishonesty offences, drug charges, assaults, and breaches of court orders. It also manages bail applications, adjournments, sentencing for summary matters, and the early stages of more serious charges. On the civil side, the Magistrates Court can hear monetary disputes and minor debt claims. Civil claims valued up to and including $150,000 are commenced in the Magistrates Court, while claims between $150,000 and $750,000 go to the District Court and anything above $750,000 is heard in the Supreme Court. Minor debt claims up to $25,000 are generally dealt with by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which can also file its orders in the Magistrates Court for enforcement.
Specialist and related jurisdictions at Roma
- Domestic and family violence: applications for and variations of protection orders are heard in the Magistrates Court jurisdiction.
- Childrens Court matters: the Childrens Court sits within the Magistrates Court system for many youth-related proceedings.
- Coronial matters: the Coroners Court also operates as part of the broader Magistrates Court structure.
- Higher-court circuits: more serious criminal and larger civil matters are handled through the Roma Supreme and District Court sittings held at the same McDowall Street complex.
Where the Roma courthouse is and when it sits
The Roma Magistrates Court is located at 141 McDowall Street, Roma QLD 4455, with the postal address at PO Box 245, Roma QLD 4455. The registry phone number is (07) 4578 8800 and the court email is courthouse.roma@justice.qld.gov.au. Published business hours are 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.00pm on Friday. The courthouse offers facilities including videoconferencing and a remote witness room, which allow evidence to be given without a witness needing to be physically present in the courtroom, an important service for a region where some residents live hundreds of kilometres from town.
The same McDowall Street complex hosts the Roma Supreme Court and Roma District Court sittings, which run on circuit rather than continuously. Because higher-court sittings are periodic, checking the current list is the only reliable way to confirm whether the Supreme, District or Magistrates jurisdiction is sitting on a given day. If you have a matter in a neighbouring centre, you can also review the broader Queensland court lists to see which regional registries are sitting.
Getting to court and what to bring
- Arrive early: aim to be at the courthouse by 8.45am so you have time to clear the entrance, find your courtroom and speak with duty lawyers if needed.
- Bring identification and paperwork: carry any bail undertaking, notice to appear, or correspondence showing your matter number.
- Dress and conduct: dress neatly, turn off your phone in the courtroom, and address the magistrate as "Your Honour".
- Seek legal help: Legal Aid Queensland and duty lawyer services may be available for eligible defendants; arrange representation before your court date where possible.
A courthouse with more than a century of history
The Roma courthouse is not just an administrative building; it is a piece of Queensland heritage. The rendered masonry courthouse was constructed in 1901 and remains in use today, making it one of the longer-serving purpose-built courthouses in regional Queensland. Officially known as the Roma Court House and Police Buildings, the site was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 7 August 1998 under reference number 601285. It is considered a strong example of Federation-era architecture, and its heritage-listed components include the historic cell block and police station alongside the court house itself.
The town around it has an equally distinctive story. Roma was surveyed in 1862 and named after Lady Diamantina Bowen, wife of Queensland's first Governor. It became a centre for the pastoral industry and later for energy, marking the site of Australia's first commercial oil and gas discovery. Today Roma is widely known as the "Gateway to the Outback" and remains the largest town in South West Queensland west of the Darling Downs, which is why its court continues to serve such a broad rural catchment.
Why regional court lists matter for the Maranoa community
Access to justice in remote and regional Queensland depends heavily on people being able to find court information quickly. With the median age in Roma at 35 and around 28 per cent of residents under the age of 20, a significant share of the local population may interact with the court system at some point, whether as a party, a support person or a witness. For families spread across localities like Mitchell, Surat, Injune and the surrounding pastoral properties, a same-day online list removes the guesswork of a long trip into town only to discover a matter has been adjourned.
Regional courts also carry a heavier per-capita load than their size suggests, because a single registry absorbs the work of an entire district. This is common across South West and Central Queensland, where centres such as Roma, Dalby and the larger regional hub of Toowoomba Magistrates Court coordinate criminal, civil and circuit sittings for vast surrounding areas. Keeping a clear, current view of each court's list helps practitioners manage appearances efficiently and helps self-represented people avoid costly mistakes.
Frequently asked questions about the Roma Magistrates Court
What time is the Roma Magistrates Court list published each day?
Magistrates Court lists in Queensland are generally updated at 6.45am and again at 8.45am on each sitting day. The second update captures overnight arrests and bail matters, so refreshing after 8.45am gives you the most complete version of the Roma court list for that day.
Where is the Roma Magistrates Court located?
The court is at 141 McDowall Street, Roma QLD 4455, in the heritage-listed courthouse. The registry can be reached on (07) 4578 8800 or by email at courthouse.roma@justice.qld.gov.au.
What are the court's opening hours?
Published business hours are 8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.00pm on Friday. It is best to arrive well before your listed time to allow for security screening and to locate your courtroom.
What types of cases does the Roma Magistrates Court hear?
It hears summary criminal matters, traffic offences, bail applications, domestic and family violence applications, and the early stages of serious charges, as well as civil claims up to $150,000. More serious criminal matters and larger civil disputes are dealt with through the District and Supreme Court circuits that also sit at the McDowall Street complex.
How do I find my name or matter number on the list?
Match your full name and matter or file number against the entries rather than relying on the listed time, which can change through the day. If you cannot find your matter, refresh the list after 8.45am or phone the Roma registry on (07) 4578 8800 to confirm your courtroom and time.
Can evidence be given remotely at Roma?
Yes. The courthouse provides videoconferencing and a remote witness room, allowing evidence to be given without a witness attending the courtroom in person, which is particularly useful given the distances involved across the Maranoa region.