| Name | Court Room | Time |
|---|---|---|
| M**, R** AS TO | Court 1 | 9:30AM |
Last updated: 06 Aug 2026, 9:43 am. Names are partially masked for privacy. Details may change — always check with the Registry.
The Ceduna criminal court list shows the daily case listings for the Ceduna Magistrates Court, a circuit court sitting on the far west coast of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. Unlike the metropolitan courts in Adelaide, Ceduna does not sit every weekday. It is a circuit location, which means it only opens on scheduled circuit sitting days when a travelling magistrate arrives to hear matters. On this page you can check today's Ceduna criminal listings, see which defendants are appearing, identify the courtroom, and confirm whether the court is sitting before you make the long trip in.
Ceduna sits about 786 kilometres north west of Adelaide and roughly 423 kilometres north of Port Lincoln, so knowing the correct sitting day matters more here than almost anywhere else in the state. The courthouse is located at 7 McKenzie Street, Ceduna, South Australia 5690, and the registry can be reached on (08) 8625 2520. Because the court operates on a circuit basis, the criminal list will often be empty on days when no sitting is scheduled, and busy on the specific days the magistrate is in town.
What the Ceduna criminal court list covers
The criminal list at Ceduna is drawn from the Magistrates Court of South Australia, which is the state's lowest and busiest court tier. In its criminal jurisdiction, the Magistrates Court deals with summary offences and less serious indictable matters. Penalties available to the court include fines, community service, good behaviour bonds, and imprisonment of up to two years for a single summary offence. More serious indictable charges, such as aggravated offences or matters carrying longer terms, are committed from Ceduna to the District Court or Supreme Court for trial or sentencing.
Each entry on the Ceduna criminal list typically identifies the defendant's name, the listing type, the presiding magistrate or courtroom, and the scheduled time. The most common listing types you will see are mentions, hearings, and directions hearings. A mention is a brief procedural appearance where the matter is reviewed and a future date is set. A hearing is a substantive appearance where evidence is led and legal argument is made. A directions hearing is a procedural step where the court gives instructions about how the matter will proceed toward finalisation.
Circuit sittings and the Yalata connection
Ceduna Magistrates Court is a circuit court and is only open on circuit sitting days. Every two months, the same magistrate also sits at Yalata, an Aboriginal community on the Nullarbor further west along the Eyre Highway. Information about Yalata sittings is coordinated through the Elizabeth Court registry rather than through Ceduna directly. The Ceduna circuit forms part of a wider western and far north circuit that a magistrate conducts across the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, Coober Pedy, Leigh Creek, and Ceduna, with the court sitting in more populated APY communities such as Ernabella, Amata, Fregon, Indulkana, and Pipalyatjara.
This circuit model is common across regional South Australia. The registries at Ceduna, Coober Pedy, Port Pirie, and Kadina open only at court circuit times, while the larger regional courthouses at Port Augusta, Whyalla, and Port Lincoln are open every weekday. If you are following a matter that has been adjourned, always confirm the next circuit date, because an adjournment at Ceduna may push a case out by several weeks rather than a few days.
How to read a South Australian court list
South Australian criminal lists use consistent terminology across every courthouse, which makes the Ceduna list easier to interpret once you know the pattern. Listings are grouped by court type and courtroom number, and each row corresponds to a single listed matter. When you view the Ceduna criminal list on a sitting day, you may see just one or two matters, since circuit lists in small far west communities are far shorter than the hundreds of daily entries seen at the busiest metropolitan registries.
- Mention: A short procedural appearance to review progress and set the next date.
- Hearing: A substantive appearance where evidence and argument are presented.
- Directions hearing: A procedural step where the court sets the timetable for the matter.
- Committal: The process of transferring a serious charge up to the District or Supreme Court.
- Sentencing: The stage where the court imposes a penalty after a plea or finding of guilt.
Support services attend Ceduna when the court is sitting, including the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement, Correctional Services, and Aboriginal Justice Officers. Residential Tenancies matters are also heard as needed. This wraparound presence reflects the strong Aboriginal community connection in the Ceduna district, where the town name itself comes from the Wirangu word thought to mean a place to sit down and rest.
Who appears in the Ceduna criminal court
The Ceduna courthouse serves the township of Ceduna, which had a population of around 2,290 at the 2021 Census, along with the broader District Council of Ceduna, an area of more than 5,400 square kilometres taking in localities such as Denial Bay, Koonibba, Charra, and Ceduna Waters. The district sits within the state electoral district of Flinders and the federal Division of Grey. With an estimated 240,000 tourists passing through the district each year on the way across the Nullarbor, the court also deals from time to time with traffic and travel related summary matters alongside its local caseload.
Why the Ceduna list changes and how often it updates
Because Ceduna is a circuit court, its criminal list is dynamic and date dependent. On non sitting days there will be no active criminal listings at all. On sitting days, the list reflects the matters allocated for that circuit. Court lists across South Australia are generally published in the lead up to the sitting and can change after posting, so it is always sensible to check again on the morning of the hearing. If you cannot travel to Ceduna, contacting the registry on (08) 8625 2520 is the most reliable way to confirm whether a matter remains listed.
The Ceduna criminal circuit is one part of a large statewide network. The Magistrates Court of South Australia was established in 1837 and now operates from Adelaide plus suburban courts at Christies Beach, Elizabeth, and Port Adelaide, country courts including Berri, Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, and Whyalla, and circuit courts reaching remote communities across the west and far north. If your matter has moved to a different location, you can compare the full statewide picture on the SA court listings hub, which aggregates the daily case lists from every South Australian courthouse into one searchable place.
Related regional and circuit court lists
Many people following a Ceduna matter also track nearby regional courts, because charges are sometimes transferred, and because the same magistrate travels across several locations. If your matter has been listed at a larger regional centre, the Port Augusta criminal court listings and the Port Lincoln court listings are the closest weekday courthouses to the Ceduna circuit. For serious charges committed upward for trial or sentence, the SA District Court criminal list is where those matters will next appear.
Frequently asked questions about the Ceduna criminal court list
Is the Ceduna Magistrates Court open every day?
No. Ceduna is a circuit court and only opens on scheduled circuit sitting days. On days when no circuit is scheduled, the courthouse and criminal list will not be active.
Where is the Ceduna courthouse located?
The court is at 7 McKenzie Street, Ceduna, South Australia 5690. The registry telephone number is (08) 8625 2520.
Does the same magistrate sit at Yalata?
Yes. Every two months the court also sits at Yalata. Information about Yalata sittings is coordinated through the Elizabeth Court registry.
What kinds of cases appear on the Ceduna criminal list?
The list covers summary and less serious indictable criminal matters, including mentions, hearings, directions hearings, committals, and sentencing. Serious indictable charges are transferred to the District Court or Supreme Court.
What penalties can the Magistrates Court impose?
In its criminal jurisdiction the court can impose fines, community service, good behaviour bonds, and imprisonment of up to two years for a single summary offence.
How current is the Ceduna criminal list?
Lists are published before the sitting and can change after posting. Always check again on the morning of the hearing, or contact the Ceduna registry to confirm a matter is still listed.
