If you need to check the Hobart criminal court list before a hearing, this page tracks every criminal matter listed before the Hobart Magistrates Court Criminal Division at 23-25 Liverpool Street, Hobart TAS 7000. As Tasmania's capital and the seat of its busiest courthouse, Hobart carries the heaviest criminal caseload of the state's four permanent Magistrates Court centres, so having the daily criminal law list in one reliable place saves defendants, lawyers, families, journalists and support workers from refreshing multiple government pages on the morning of a hearing.
The Magistrates Court of Tasmania is the entry point for almost every criminal prosecution in the state, and Hobart handles the largest share. According to the Magistrates Court of Tasmania Annual Report 2024-25, the court statewide processed more than 37,000 new cases and recorded 205,298 individual listings across the year. Adult criminal lodgements rose 14.8 per cent on the previous year, while adult criminal breach applications climbed 22.9 per cent, meaning more people than ever are appearing before a magistrate and more of them need to confirm exactly when and where their matter has been scheduled.
What the Hobart Criminal Court list shows you
The daily list is a scheduling document, not a judgment record. Each entry identifies the defendant, the matter or case number, the type of hearing, the courtroom, and the listed time. Because a single sitting day at Hobart runs across several courtrooms with different magistrates, the list is the only practical way to know which room to attend and roughly when to arrive. Matters are grouped by type and by courtroom rather than in a single running order, so reading the whole list for your name is safer than assuming a fixed start time.
The Hobart criminal list is published on the Magistrates Court of Tasmania website at approximately 4:30pm each business day for the following sitting day. That afternoon publication window is important: a list generated late one afternoon reflects the state of the court roll at that moment, and matters can still be added, adjourned or moved before you walk through the door. Always re-check on the morning of your hearing rather than relying on a copy saved the night before.
Common matter types heard in the Hobart Criminal Division
- Drink and drug driving and other traffic offences prosecuted under Tasmanian road law
- Common and aggravated assault and other offences against the person
- Drug possession, use and supply matters within the court's summary jurisdiction
- Stealing, dishonesty and property offences below the value threshold for the Supreme Court
- Family violence matters and applications for Family Violence Orders under the Family Violence Act 2004
- Breach applications for bail conditions, suspended sentences and community-based orders
- Preliminary proceedings (committal-style hearings) for serious indictable crimes destined for the Supreme Court of Tasmania
The scale of family violence work is one reason the Hobart roll stays full. The court received 2,259 Family Violence Order applications in 2024-25, a 24 per cent increase on the prior year and a 64.8 per cent rise across the preceding five years. Many of these applications and their associated breach matters are listed in the criminal stream, which adds to the daily volume you will see reflected in the list.
Where Hobart sits in the Tasmanian court hierarchy
Tasmania has a deliberately simple two-tier court structure. Unlike New South Wales, Victoria or Queensland, there is no District Court or County Court sitting between the Magistrates Court and the Supreme Court. That single feature shapes everything about the Hobart criminal caseload. The Magistrates Court hears all summary offences and conducts preliminary hearings for indictable crimes, while the Supreme Court of Tasmania acts as both the trial court for the most serious matters and the state's highest court of appeal.
Because there is no intermediate court, the Hobart Magistrates Court absorbs a broader range of matters than its mainland equivalents would. Minor and mid-level criminal offending that might be sent to a District Court elsewhere stays in the Magistrates Court in Tasmania, which is part of why Hobart's list is so dense. If your matter is ultimately headed for a jury trial, it will usually begin here with a preliminary hearing and then be committed upward. You can follow the more serious end of that pipeline through the Supreme Court of Tasmania list.
Who presides over criminal matters in Hobart
Criminal matters in the Magistrates Court are heard by a single magistrate rather than a jury. The court has 17 magistrates and more than 70 staff working across the Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie registries, led by the Chief Magistrate. A magistrate can hear a plea, set bail conditions, adjourn a matter for reports, conduct a summary trial, and impose sentence, all within the same jurisdiction. The absence of a jury at this level means listings move faster and turn over more frequently, which again is why the published list can shift between its 4:30pm release and the next morning.
How to use this Hobart criminal court list effectively
Reading a court list well is a small skill that removes a lot of stress. The steps below reflect how experienced court users approach a Hobart sitting day.
- Find your name or matter number first. Scan the full list rather than stopping at the first courtroom, because your matter may be grouped under a specific magistrate or hearing type further down.
- Note the courtroom and listed time. Treat the time as a guide to when the court block starts, not a personal appointment; arrive early and be ready to wait.
- Check the hearing type. A mention, a plea, a bail application and a contested hearing each demand different preparation, and the list tells you which one you are facing.
- Re-check on the morning. Lists are refreshed for the sitting day, so a matter can be adjourned or reallocated overnight.
- Arrive with time to clear security. The Liverpool Street courthouse has a security screening point, and queues build before the day's sittings begin.
If your matter is civil rather than criminal, or if it has been listed at a different Tasmanian registry, use the correct list to avoid attending the wrong building. The Hobart Civil Court list covers debt, contract and other civil claims heard at the same complex, while northern matters appear on the Launceston criminal court list. For a statewide overview of every sitting location, the Tasmania court lists hub links out to all four permanent centres and the circuit courts.
Visiting the Hobart Magistrates Court
The Hobart Magistrates Court sits at 23-25 Liverpool Street in the city centre, with postal correspondence directed to GPO Box 354, Hobart TAS 7000. The registry is open Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm, excluding public holidays, and closes at 2:00pm on Christmas Eve. Criminal enquiries can be directed to the registry by telephone, with a menu option dedicated to criminal matters and separate options for civil, coronial, fines and police prosecutions.
The building is equipped for a range of access needs. Every courtroom has an assistive listening system, and the complex offers disabled access and toilet facilities, baby-changing facilities, video-conferencing, and an on-site Justice of the Peace office. Metered parking is available on Liverpool Street, with additional capacity in the multi-storey Argyle Street car park nearby. Defendants held in custody may be permitted to appear by video link from elsewhere in Tasmania, part of the court's long-running effort to widen access to justice and cut travel between centres.
Why case volumes keep climbing
The pressure on the Hobart criminal list is not a short-term spike. Criminal lodgements dropped during the COVID-affected years of 2020-21 and 2021-22, then rebounded above pre-pandemic levels, and the double-digit growth in both new lodgements and breach applications recorded in 2024-25 shows the trend continuing. Set against a Tasmanian population of roughly 572,000, the statewide figure of over 37,000 new cases a year underscores how central the Magistrates Court is to everyday justice in the state, and how much of that load lands in the capital.
Frequently asked questions
What time is the Hobart criminal court list published?
The Hobart criminal list is published on the Magistrates Court of Tasmania website at approximately 4:30pm each business day for the next sitting day. Because matters can change after that release, confirm your listing again on the morning of your hearing.
Where is the Hobart Magistrates Court located?
The court is at 23-25 Liverpool Street, Hobart TAS 7000, with mail directed to GPO Box 354, Hobart TAS 7001. The registry operates Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, apart from public holidays.
Does the Hobart Magistrates Court hear serious crimes?
It hears all summary offences and conducts preliminary hearings for serious indictable crimes such as those that proceed to a jury trial. Those more serious matters are then committed to the Supreme Court of Tasmania, since there is no intermediate District Court in the state.
Can I appear by video link instead of attending in person?
Defendants in custody may be permitted to attend by video link from locations across Tasmania, and witnesses can sometimes appear remotely. Whether a video appearance is allowed depends on the matter and the magistrate, so seek confirmation from the registry or your legal representative before the hearing.
Is the court list the same as a sentencing or judgment record?
No. The daily list is a scheduling document showing what is listed and where. Published decisions and sentences are separate records available through the Magistrates Court and Supreme Court of Tasmania channels.
What should I do if I cannot find my matter on the list?
Read the entire list, including all courtrooms and hearing types, because entries are grouped rather than alphabetised across the whole day. If your matter still does not appear, contact the Hobart registry to confirm it has not been adjourned or relisted.