| Name | Court Room | Time |
|---|---|---|
| D**, S** OR DISPOSE | Court 22 | 10:00AM |
Last updated: 11 Sep 2026, 10:39 am. Names are partially masked for privacy. Details may change — always check with the Registry.
The Adelaide Magistrates Court hears the largest share of criminal matters in South Australia, and its daily criminal list is one of the most frequently searched court schedules in the state. Located at 260 to 280 Victoria Square in the Adelaide central business district, this court is the primary summary jurisdiction venue for the greater metropolitan area. If you are trying to confirm a hearing time, a courtroom number, or whether a matter has been adjourned, the daily criminal list published on this page gives you a clear, searchable snapshot of what is scheduled without the need to phone the registry or attend in person.
Every weekday, magistrates at Victoria Square work through a high volume of first appearances, bail applications, guilty pleas, sentencing hearings, and committal proceedings. The Magistrates Court is the entry point for almost every criminal charge laid in South Australia, since even the most serious indictable offences begin their journey here before being committed to the District Court or the Supreme Court. That makes the Adelaide criminal court list a genuinely useful daily tool for defendants, family members, legal practitioners, journalists, and support workers alike.
What the Adelaide Magistrates Court criminal list shows you
The daily criminal list sets out each matter listed for hearing on a given business day. For every entry, you can generally see the defendant or party name, the courtroom allocated, the scheduled start time, and an abbreviation describing the type of proceeding. A court list, sometimes called a cause list or daily hearing list, is the official schedule that a court publishes so that everyone involved knows where to be and when. CourtListAU republishes these South Australian lists in a clean, mobile friendly format that requires no login, no registration, and no fee.
Because the Adelaide Magistrates Court runs multiple courtrooms simultaneously, the criminal list is organised by courtroom number. This helps you avoid the common mistake of arriving at the wrong room. Matters are frequently moved between courtrooms or rescheduled during the day, so it is always sensible to check the list on the morning of your hearing rather than relying on an earlier version.
Types of matters heard at Victoria Square
- First appearances after a person has been charged and either bailed or held in custody.
- Bail applications, including contested applications where the prosecution opposes release.
- Guilty pleas and sentencing for summary and minor indictable offences.
- Committal proceedings, where serious indictable charges are prepared for the higher courts.
- Specialist lists such as the Drug Court, the Diversion Court, and the Domestic and Family Violence list.
- Trials heard by a magistrate sitting without a jury for summary offences.
How the Magistrates Court fits into the South Australian court system
The Magistrates Court of South Australia was established in 1837 and sits as the lowest tier of the state court hierarchy, authorised by the Magistrates Court Act 1991. Above it sit the District Court and the Supreme Court, which hear appeals from magistrates and try the most serious offences such as murder and treason. Cases heard in the Magistrates Court do not involve a jury. Instead, a magistrate decides questions of fact and law and determines whether a defendant is guilty or not guilty. The court has been led by Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal since October 2015.
Understanding this structure helps explain why the criminal list at Victoria Square is so busy. Nearly every criminal prosecution in the state passes through the summary jurisdiction first, which is why searches for the SA court listings today consistently rank among the most common court queries in South Australia.
Adelaide and South Australian criminal court statistics
The scale of criminal work moving through South Australian courts is significant. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, in 2022 to 2023 there were 48,841 defendants who received a guilty court judgement in South Australia, representing roughly 97 per cent of all defendants who received a judgement. That guilty proportion is consistent with the national picture and reflects the fact that a large share of matters resolve by guilty plea rather than trial.
At the national level, the ABS recorded 521,632 defendants finalised across all Australian criminal courts in 2024 to 2025, a one per cent increase on the previous year. Across the country, the median case duration was nine weeks, the median defendant age was 35.4 years, and around 75 per cent of defendants were male. Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences remain the single most common principal offence category nationally, followed by acts intended to cause injury such as assault.
South Australia also stands out in sentencing. ABS data shows that a sentence of custody in a correctional institution was more common in South Australia than in most states, applying to around 42 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander defendants with a guilty outcome. The Productivity Commission's Report on Government Services reported a national clearance rate for all criminal courts of 96.7 per cent in 2024 to 2025, meaning courts are finalising almost as many matters as are being lodged each year. These figures underline how steadily the Magistrates Court turns over its caseload.
Why so many matters reach the Magistrates Court
The mix of matters at Victoria Square has shifted over time due to legislative change. From December 2016, the introduction of adult cautioning by South Australia Police reduced the number of minor criminal matters lodged, and reforms to fines enforcement moved much fine collection away from the courts. Even with those changes, the Adelaide Magistrates Court remains the highest volume criminal venue in the state, which is why the Elizabeth court listings and the Christies Beach court listings are often checked alongside it by people following linked matters across the metropolitan registries.
Practical information for attending Victoria Square
The Adelaide Magistrates Court is on the corner of Angas and King William Streets, a short walk from the Victoria Square tram stop and roughly ten minutes from Adelaide Railway Station by tram. The registry can be contacted on (08) 8204 2444, and registry hours are generally 9:00am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. All visitors pass through a security screening point on entry. The court offers wheelchair access, interpreter services on prior request, audio visual link facilities for remote appearances, and a duty solicitor service for unrepresented defendants operating on weekday mornings.
On-street parking around Victoria Square is limited and time restricted, so public transport is usually the easier option. If your matter involves a higher court appearance later in its life, you may also need to follow the SA District Court criminal list, since committed matters move upward through the hierarchy.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the Adelaide Magistrates Court criminal list for today?
The daily criminal list on this page is organised by courtroom number and updated regularly. You can browse the schedule directly or search for a party name to locate a specific matter without contacting the registry.
What time are South Australian court lists published?
Lists for the next business day are generally published in the late afternoon and may be revised. Details can still change after publication, so check again on the morning of the hearing to confirm the courtroom and time.
Can I see the outcome or sentencing remarks for a matter?
The court list shows what is scheduled rather than the result. Selected sentencing remarks for the higher courts are published separately by Courts SA on the official courts.sa.gov.au website.
Does the Adelaide Magistrates Court hear serious criminal charges?
Yes. Every criminal charge begins in the Magistrates Court. Summary and minor indictable matters are finalised here, while serious indictable charges are prepared through committal and then transferred to the District or Supreme Court.
Do I need to pay or register to view the list?
No. CourtListAU provides free access to South Australian daily court listings with no login and no subscription required.
