The Supreme Court of Tasmania is the highest court in the state and one of the most historically significant judicial institutions in the country, having commenced sittings on 10 May 1824 following Royal Letters Patent issued on 13 October 1823. This makes it the oldest Supreme Court in Australia, predating the Supreme Court of New South Wales by just ten days. If you are tracking a matter listed before this court, the daily law list on this page gives you a reliable, up-to-date record of hearings scheduled across the court's three sitting locations at Hobart, Launceston and Burnie.
Unlike the mainland states, Tasmania operates a two-tier state court system. There is no District Court or County Court sitting between the Magistrates Court and the Supreme Court. As a result, the Supreme Court of Tasmania carries a dual workload, functioning as both the principal trial court for the most serious matters and the final court of appeal within the state. This structure gives it a broader day-to-day caseload than its equivalents in larger jurisdictions, where intermediate courts absorb a significant share of indictable matters.
What the Tasmania Supreme Court Daily List Covers
The Tasmania Supreme Court list published here tracks matters set down before the court on any given sitting day. It draws together criminal trials, sentencing hearings, civil disputes, probate matters and appeals so that defendants, jurors, legal practitioners, witnesses and members of the public can confirm where and when a matter is being heard. Each entry typically identifies the party name, the presiding judge, the courtroom, the listing type and the scheduled time.
Because the Appeal Division sits only in Hobart, appeal matters will appear against the Hobart complex, while trial matters may be listed at any of the three registries. Checking the list the afternoon before your hearing is a sensible habit, as listings are frequently updated to reflect adjournments, reallocations of courtrooms and changes to sitting arrangements.
Types of Matters You Will See on the List
- Serious criminal trials heard before a judge and jury, including murder, manslaughter, serious sexual offences, armed robbery and complex fraud.
- Sentencing hearings following a plea of guilty or a jury verdict of guilty.
- Civil matters, including claims above the Magistrates Court monetary limit, commercial disputes and personal injury litigation.
- Probate and estate applications administered through the court's probate registry.
- Appeals from the Magistrates Court, the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT) and other courts and tribunals.
- Bail applications and remand matters, which are often influenced by the court's ongoing case backlog.
Structure and Jurisdiction of the Court
The Supreme Court exercises unlimited civil and criminal jurisdiction across Tasmania, subject only to specific statutory exclusions. It comprises a Trial Division, also known as the original jurisdiction, and an Appeal Division, known as the appellate jurisdiction. When the Appeal Division hears civil matters it sits as the Full Court, and when it hears criminal matters it sits as the Tasmanian Court of Criminal Appeal. Both are ordinarily constituted by three judges.
Appeals from a single judge of the Supreme Court, and from the Full Court or the Court of Criminal Appeal, may proceed to the High Court of Australia in Canberra, which generally hears only matters concerning the Constitution or an important point of law. Appeals into the Supreme Court flow upward from the Magistrates Court, where a single judge of the Supreme Court hears the matter. For a broader view of how these tiers connect, our Tasmania court lists hub brings together daily listings for both the Supreme Court and the Magistrates Court in one place.
The Bench: Judges of the Court
The Supreme Court of Tasmania is composed of up to seven judges appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Executive Council. Judges must be drawn from barristers and solicitors of at least ten years' standing, and are subject to mandatory retirement at the age of 75. The current Chief Justice is the Honourable Christopher Shanahan SC, who was sworn in on 20 January 2025 as the fifteenth Chief Justice of Tasmania, succeeding the Honourable Alan Blow AO, who had held the office since 2013. The Chief Justice also holds the office of Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania.
The bench also includes long-serving judges such as Justice Helen Wood, Justice Stephen Estcourt, Justice Robert Pearce, Justice Michael Brett and Justice Tamara Jago, with Justice Kate Cuthbertson joining in February 2025. Procedural and case-management responsibilities in both civil and criminal proceedings are handled by the Associate Judge, a role held by Michael Daly since 29 April 2024. Following an amendment to section 372 of the Criminal Code 1924 that took effect on 7 November 2023, the Associate Judge became the first to exercise jurisdiction over both criminal and civil matters, a change designed to ease pressure on the court's list.
Locations and Registries
The court maintains its Principal Registry at Salamanca Place in Hobart, with District Registries at Launceston and Burnie. The Hobart Supreme Court Complex was designed in 1972 by architect Peter Partridge of the Tasmanian Government's Public Works Department. Its Criminal Court opened in March 1975 and its Civil Courts and Registry in 1980. The building received the 25 Year Award for Enduring Architecture from the Australian Institute of Architects in 2010 and was entered onto the Tasmanian Heritage Register on a permanent basis in 2023.
The ordinary sittings of the Trial Division occur in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie, while the Appeal Division sits exclusively in Hobart. Of the seven Supreme Court judges, five are based in Hobart, with one permanent judge covering both Launceston and Burnie in the north and north-west of the state. All three locations can be reached on the shared enquiry line 1300 664 608, and registry hours are generally 9:00am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.
Registry Contact Details
- Principal Registry: Salamanca Place, Hobart TAS 7000 (GPO Box 167, Hobart TAS 7001).
- Launceston District Registry: serving the northern region, with regular criminal and civil sittings.
- Burnie District Registry: located at 38 Alexander Street, shared with the Magistrates Court, serving the north-west.
If your matter falls within the summary jurisdiction rather than the Supreme Court, you may need the lower court instead. Daily summary and committal listings for the north are available through the Launceston criminal court list, while matters in the state's south are published on the Hobart criminal court list.
Caseload, Backlog and Court Statistics
The Supreme Court publishes an Annual Report each November, tabled in Parliament, and this remains the most authoritative source of caseload data. The Supreme Court Annual Report 2024-2025 recorded 912 criminal non-appeal cases pending as at 30 June, an increase of 139 per cent over the preceding decade. This growing backlog has been described by the former Chief Justice as the court's single greatest challenge.
Data from the Report on Government Services reinforced the scale of the problem, showing a backlog of 885 cases with 18 outstanding appeals as at 30 June 2024, alongside 998 pending civil matters that included 63 civil appeals. Several contributing factors have been identified, including a temporary shortage of judicial officers, the redistribution of a departed judge's caseload, delays in the provision of police material, and the introduction of strangulation as a new indictable offence in 2022.
In response, proposals have included increasing the number of Supreme Court judges, establishing a pool of reserve judges, and introducing incentives for early guilty pleas to reduce the time matters spend in the system. These measures reflect a broader effort to shorten resolution timeframes, which advocates argue place undue weight on bail and remand decisions when defendants face lengthy waits for trial.
Snapshot of Key Figures
- Established: 10 May 1824, the oldest Supreme Court in Australia.
- Judicial positions: up to seven judges, plus one Associate Judge.
- Pending criminal non-appeal cases: 912 as at 30 June 2025.
- Pending civil matters: 998, including 63 civil appeals.
- Sitting locations: three, at Hobart, Launceston and Burnie.
Accessing Judgments and Sentencing Remarks
Transparency is a core function of the court. All sentences handed down in the previous three months are published on the Courts Tasmania website, and unreported judgments are made available through the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII) for research and reference by practitioners and members of the public. If you are seeking the outcome of a completed matter rather than a scheduled hearing, these judgment databases are the appropriate resource, as the daily list records upcoming and current listings rather than final decisions.
Practical Guidance for Attending Court
Parties with matters at the Launceston or Burnie circuit sittings should confirm sitting dates with the relevant registry well before travelling, as regional sitting arrangements can change. Jurors summoned to serve should follow the instructions in their summons and check the location noted on their correspondence. Legal practitioners are expected to comply with the court's Practice Directions, which set out procedural requirements on matters such as lists of authorities, and with Registrar's Circulars, which cover fees, court processes and special calendar events.
Standard courtroom etiquette applies at all locations. Judges are addressed as "Your Honour", mobile phones should be switched off, and appropriate attire is expected. Arriving early allows time to clear security screening, locate the correct courtroom and check the list for any late reallocation. For those attending in the north-west, the shared Burnie complex means both Supreme and Magistrates Court matters may be listed on the same day, so confirming the correct court is worthwhile. You can review north-west listings via the Burnie criminal court list before you travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Supreme Court the highest court in Tasmania?
Yes. It is the highest court in the state and sits around the middle of the national court hierarchy. Appeals from it proceed to the High Court of Australia, which typically hears only matters involving the Constitution or an important point of law.
Why does Tasmania have no District or County Court?
Tasmania operates a two-tier state system comprising the Magistrates Court and the Supreme Court. Without an intermediate court, the Supreme Court hears both the most serious trials and all state appeals, giving it a wider day-to-day workload than similar courts in larger states.
Where does the Supreme Court sit?
The Trial Division sits at Hobart, Launceston and Burnie. The Appeal Division, comprising the Full Court and the Court of Criminal Appeal, sits only in Hobart. The Principal Registry is at Salamanca Place, Hobart.
How often is the daily list updated?
Listings are updated regularly to reflect adjournments, courtroom changes and new matters. Checking the list the afternoon before your hearing, and again on the morning itself, is the most reliable approach.
Who is the current Chief Justice?
The Honourable Christopher Shanahan SC has served as Chief Justice of Tasmania since 20 January 2025, succeeding the Honourable Alan Blow AO. He is the fifteenth person to hold the office and also serves as Lieutenant-Governor of Tasmania.