The Hobart Civil Court list is the definitive daily record of every civil matter scheduled before the Civil Division of the Hobart Magistrates Court, the busiest civil registry in Tasmania and the principal venue for money disputes, debt recovery and tenancy matters across the state's southern region. Located in the heart of Tasmania's capital, the Hobart Magistrates Court sits at 23-25 Liverpool Street, Hobart TAS 7000, and its Civil Division processes claims filed by individuals, small businesses, debt collectors, landlords and self-represented litigants who need a fast, accessible forum for resolving disputes over money and property valued below the Supreme Court threshold. This page consolidates the published civil law list so you can confirm your hearing date, courtroom and matter number in seconds rather than navigating multiple government portals.
Civil hearings in Hobart are governed by the Magistrates Court (Civil Division) Act 1992, the founding legislation that established a dedicated civil arm within the Magistrates Court of Tasmania and set out the monetary limits, procedures and powers that shape every matter you will see on the daily list. The Civil Division's general jurisdiction is capped at $50,000 inclusive, which means the vast majority of contract disputes, unpaid invoices, property damage claims and consumer complaints in southern Tasmania are heard here rather than in the Supreme Court. Matters exceeding that figure move up to the Supreme Court of Tasmania, unless every party consents to the Magistrates Court retaining jurisdiction, giving litigants a degree of flexibility that keeps costs down and hearing dates within reach.
What the Hobart Civil Court list covers
The Hobart Civil Court schedule captures the full spectrum of civil proceedings heard before a single magistrate sitting without a jury. On any given sitting day the list may include minor civil claims, general civil claims, directions hearings, conciliation conferences, debt recovery actions, residential tenancy disputes referred from TASCAT, and applications made under the Magistrates Court (Civil Division) Rules 1998. Because civil matters are resolved by a magistrate rather than a jury, the process is streamlined, and hearings tend to move faster than the criminal calendar, which is why the daily civil list often shows fewer entries than the corresponding Hobart criminal court list on the same date.
Tasmania draws a clear line between two categories of civil action, and understanding where your matter sits is the single most useful thing you can do before checking the list. A minor civil claim is any claim for money or damages that does not exceed $15,000, a threshold set by the Magistrates Court (Civil Division) (Minor Civil Claims) Regulations 2023. Claims above $15,001 and up to $50,000 proceed as standard civil claims. This distinction determines almost everything that follows, from the forms you file to whether you can be legally represented and how your first hearing is structured.
Minor civil claims: disputes up to $15,000
Minor civil claims are designed for ordinary people and small businesses to recover modest sums without the expense of a full legal team. When a defendant files a defence to a minor civil claim, the matter is set down for a conciliation conference, an informal session in which a court officer or mediator helps both sides negotiate a resolution before any contested hearing. Parties to a minor civil claim are generally unrepresented, and under section 31AD of the Magistrates Court (Civil Division) Act 1992 legal representation is only permitted where another party is a legal practitioner, or where the court considers a party would be unfairly disadvantaged without a lawyer. The category also captures proceedings for damages under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 where the amount claimed does not exceed $15,000, which is why tenancy and bond disputes frequently appear on the Hobart civil list.
General civil claims: disputes from $15,001 to $50,000
Standard civil claims involving amounts between $15,001 and $50,000 follow a more structured path. Rather than heading straight to a conciliation conference, these matters generally begin with a directions hearing, at which the magistrate sets a timetable for the exchange of documents, witness statements and any interlocutory steps needed before trial. The court retains the power to order a conciliation conference at any stage if it believes the dispute can be settled without a contested hearing, reflecting a system built to encourage early resolution and reserve courtroom time for genuinely contested matters. If you are recovering money in this bracket, you are described on the file as a claimant or civil litigant.
When the Hobart civil list is published
The Hobart civil law list is generated at approximately 4:30pm each business day for the next sitting day, so the schedule you review in the late afternoon reflects the matters listed for the following morning. On quieter days the published list will simply state that no civil hearings are scheduled for the next business day at this court, which is common because civil sittings are less frequent than criminal sittings and many disputes settle at the conciliation stage before ever reaching a contested hearing. Checking the list the evening before your hearing, and again on the morning itself, is the safest way to confirm your courtroom and start time have not changed.
Because listings can be reallocated between courtrooms, adjourned or removed after settlement, the daily civil list is best treated as a live document rather than a fixed schedule. Practitioners appearing across the state often cross-reference the Hobart entries against the broader Tasmania court lists to plan their day when they have matters listed in more than one registry, since the Magistrates Court operates from four full-time courthouses and adjournments in one centre can affect availability in another.
Where the Hobart Magistrates Court sits within the Tasmanian court system
The Hobart Magistrates Court is one of four permanent Magistrates Court centres in Tasmania, alongside Launceston, Burnie and Devonport, and each operates on a full-time basis while also providing circuit services to more regional and remote communities. The Magistrates Court of Tasmania handles the overwhelming majority of the state's legal workload, dealing with tens of thousands of matters each year across its criminal, civil, family violence, coronial and administrative jurisdictions. The court is led by the Chief Magistrate, Catherine Geason, who has held the office since 24 October 2016, and its bench is authorised under the Magistrates Court Act 1987 with 17 magistrate positions established across the state.
Above the Magistrates Court sits the Supreme Court of Tasmania, the oldest Supreme Court in Australia, established on 10 May 1824 and today comprising seven judicial positions. Appeals from the Hobart Civil Division are heard by a single judge of the Supreme Court, and civil disputes exceeding $50,000 are commenced there as a matter of course. This two-tier structure is a distinctive feature of the Tasmanian system, which, unlike the larger mainland states, has no intermediate District or County Court between the Magistrates Court and the Supreme Court. Litigants weighing where to file should also be aware of the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which resolves many administrative and tenancy matters outside the court structure entirely.
Attending the Hobart Magistrates Court
The Hobart courthouse is a fully accessible facility. It offers disabled access and toilet facilities, baby changing amenities, an assistive listening system in every courtroom, video conferencing capability and an on-site Justice of the Peace office. Metered parking is available on Liverpool Street, with additional spaces in the multi-storey Argyle Street car park a short walk away. The registry is open Monday to Friday from 9:00am, and telephone enquiries are directed through a menu system, with civil matters reached by selecting the civil option. Arriving early gives you time to clear security screening, locate your courtroom from the foyer display and speak with registry staff if your matter is not appearing where you expect.
If you are unsure which division your matter belongs to, the registry can confirm whether you are listed in the Civil Court, the Criminal and General Court, the Children's Court, the Coroners Court or one of the specialist lists. For litigants coming from outside the capital, the same daily-list approach applies across every centre, so a party with a matter in the north can check the Launceston civil court list using exactly the same method described on this page.
How to read the daily civil list
Each entry on the Hobart civil list typically shows the case number, the names of the parties, the type of hearing, the assigned courtroom and the scheduled time. Civil matters use their own shorthand, and the abbreviations you see on the list correspond to procedural stages such as directions hearings, conciliation conferences and contested trials. If a term on your listing is unfamiliar, registry staff can explain what the notation means and what you are expected to do on the day. Never assume an abbreviation carries the same meaning it might in the criminal jurisdiction, as civil and criminal lists use different conventions.
Self-represented litigants make up a large share of the civil caseload, particularly in the minor claims bracket, so the court and its published resources are structured to be navigable without a lawyer. Reading the list carefully, arriving with your documents in order and knowing whether your matter is a conciliation conference or a contested hearing will make the day run far more smoothly. Where a dispute settles beforehand, notifying the registry promptly allows the listing to be removed and courtroom time reallocated to matters that still need to be heard.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum amount the Hobart Civil Court can hear?
The Civil Division of the Hobart Magistrates Court has a general civil jurisdiction of up to $50,000 inclusive. Claims above that amount are heard in the Supreme Court of Tasmania, unless all parties consent to the Magistrates Court retaining the matter.
What counts as a minor civil claim in Tasmania?
A minor civil claim is a claim for money or damages that does not exceed $15,000, as prescribed by the Magistrates Court (Civil Division) (Minor Civil Claims) Regulations 2023. It also includes certain residential tenancy claims for damages up to $15,000.
When is the Hobart civil court list published?
The civil list is generated at approximately 4:30pm each business day for the following sitting day. If no civil matters are set down, the list will state that no civil hearings are scheduled for the next business day.
Can I have a lawyer in a minor civil claim?
Legal representation in a minor civil claim is limited under section 31AD of the Magistrates Court (Civil Division) Act 1992. It is generally only allowed where another party is a legal practitioner, or where the court decides a party would be unfairly disadvantaged without a lawyer.
Where is the Hobart Magistrates Court located?
The Hobart Magistrates Court is located at 23-25 Liverpool Street, Hobart TAS 7000. It is one of four full-time Magistrates Court centres in Tasmania, alongside Launceston, Burnie and Devonport.
What happens if my matter is not on the list?
If your civil matter does not appear on the published list, contact the Hobart registry to confirm the hearing date and courtroom. Listings can be adjourned, reallocated or removed after settlement, so it is worth checking both the evening before and the morning of your hearing.