The VIC Bendigo ARC List published on this page sets out the current Assessment and Referral Court hearings scheduled at the Bendigo Magistrates' Court in central Victoria, drawn directly from official Victorian court registry publications. The Assessment and Referral Court, commonly shortened to ARC, is a specialist therapeutic list that sits within the broader Magistrates' Court framework, and its daily schedule works differently from a standard criminal mention list. If you are an accused person, a support worker, a case manager, a lawyer, a family member or a journalist tracking a matter, this Bendigo ARC List gives you the case references, courtroom allocations and listed times you need, with personal names partially masked in line with responsible publishing practice. The list refreshes throughout the day so you can confirm where and when a matter has been called before you travel to the court.
Understanding the ARC List begins with understanding what the Assessment and Referral Court is designed to do. The ARC is a pre-sentence, problem-solving court that supports accused people living with a diagnosed mental illness or a cognitive impairment, including intellectual disability, acquired brain injury and autism spectrum conditions. Rather than moving straight through a conventional plea and sentence, eligible participants receive intensive case management and judicial supervision aimed at addressing the underlying factors that contribute to offending. Because the process is voluntary and assessment-driven, an ARC hearing you see on the Bendigo list represents one step in a coordinated support plan rather than a single, self-contained court appearance.
What the Bendigo ARC List covers
The Bendigo Assessment and Referral Court operates as one of a limited number of regional ARC venues across Victoria. ARC lists run at metropolitan and regional courts including Melbourne, Dandenong, Frankston, Heidelberg, Moorabbin, Sunshine, Broadmeadows, Ringwood, Ballarat, Bendigo, Latrobe Valley and Shepparton, which places Bendigo among a small group of regional courts equipped to deliver this specialist stream. At the Bendigo Law Courts the ARC is located at Balak Services on level one of the building, a deliberate arrangement that keeps therapeutic and support services close to the courtroom where matters are heard.
Each entry on the Bendigo ARC List typically corresponds to a scheduled review or supervision hearing rather than a contested trial. Contested bail hearings, by contrast, are dealt with in the mainstream court, not the ARC. The kinds of appearances you will see listed include first ARC hearings following a referral and adjournment, progress reviews where the magistrate monitors a participant's engagement with their support plan, and final hearings at the conclusion of an ARC episode. At the end of an episode the court's sentencing options are generally the same as those available in the mainstream court, which can include the full range of orders up to and including imprisonment.
Who can be referred to the ARC
Eligibility for the Assessment and Referral Court is set out in the Magistrates' Court Act 1989 (Vic), and a referral must be made before any matter can be heard. A referral can come from a wide range of sources, including the accused person, their family, a community service organisation, a magistrate, Victoria Police, a lawyer or the Court Integrated Services Program. A referral should be made at the earliest possible opportunity, which can be at a bail hearing or a mention hearing. Three broad requirements guide eligibility:
- Diagnostic criteria: the accused person has a diagnosed mental illness, an intellectual disability, an acquired brain injury, autism spectrum disorder or another cognitive impairment.
- Functional criteria: the condition must cause a substantially reduced capacity in day-to-day functioning, such as self-care, social interaction or self-direction.
- Needs and benefit criteria: the person must be likely to benefit from receiving coordinated services delivered under an individual support plan.
Because participation is voluntary, the accused person must agree to the matter being heard in the ARC. An assessment by an ARC case manager is also required to confirm the person meets the criteria, and the magistrate makes the final decision on suitability. Referral forms can be completed online or downloaded and submitted to the relevant Magistrates' Court before the first ARC hearing.
Why the ARC List matters in Bendigo
Bendigo functions as the primary entry point for the great majority of criminal matters across the Loddon Mallee region, so the presence of a dedicated ARC stream carries real weight for the surrounding community. The Magistrates' Court of Victoria handles roughly 90 per cent of all cases that pass through the state's court system, and the court operates from more than 51 venues statewide. Within that volume, therapeutic lists such as the ARC divert a targeted cohort away from the standard criminal pathway and toward supervised support, which is significant given how few regional courts host the program.
The evidence base behind the model is a large part of why it exists. The Assessment and Referral Court List formally commenced in March 2010, with its first sitting day on 21 April 2010, and it has been the subject of Australian recidivism research in the years since. Peer-reviewed evaluation has found that successful completion of the ARC List is the most significant predictor of not reoffending, or of taking longer to reoffend, ahead of factors such as gender and the severity of the original offence. Related Australian research into mental health court diversion more broadly found that individuals who were not diverted had a 43 per cent higher reoffending rate than comparable individuals who were granted diversion, which underlines why courts continue to invest in problem-solving lists of this kind.
Where the ARC sits within the Bendigo Law Courts
The Bendigo ARC List is heard inside the modern Bendigo Law Courts, a facility that opened to hearings in February 2023. The building is a 152 million dollar, five-level complex containing nine courtrooms, two dedicated hearing rooms and two mediation suites, and it replaced the historic Pall Mall courthouse that had served the city for more than 130 years. It incorporates extensive Dja Dja Wurrung cultural elements, including a copper facade depicting Bunjil that spans four levels of the building. For anyone attending an ARC hearing, the facility is fully accessible and includes hearing loops, assistive listening devices and accessible toilet facilities throughout.
The court sits at 188 Hargreaves Street, Bendigo VIC 3550, on the corner of Hargreaves and Mundy Streets. There are two public entries: the Hargreaves Street entry serves the Magistrates' Court, the County Court, the Supreme Court and VCAT, while the Mundy Street entry serves the Children's Court. The general contact number for the Bendigo Law Courts is (03) 9087 5733, and the registry operates Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 4:30pm, closing between 1:00pm and 2:00pm. There is no on-site parking at the court, so several nearby public car parks are the practical option for visitors.
How to read and use the Bendigo ARC List
Reading a specialist list is straightforward once you know what each field represents. Each row generally shows a masked party reference, a courtroom or hearing room allocation and a scheduled time. Because ARC matters involve case management, a listed time is a guide to when a matter is expected to be called rather than a fixed appointment, and the order of the day can shift as the magistrate works through supervision reviews. Arriving early, allowing time to clear security, and confirming the room on the day are all sensible steps.
If you are appearing in an ARC matter, it is worth bringing valid photo identification such as a driver's licence or passport, along with any court notices, summonses or correspondence and any documents relevant to your case. Interpreter services can be arranged if English is not your first language and are best requested well ahead of the hearing. You are generally allowed to bring a support person, though they cannot speak on your behalf during the hearing itself. For broader Victorian coverage and to compare how the same list format works elsewhere, you can browse the full Victoria court lists directory or check the standard Bendigo Magistrates Court list for matters outside the ARC stream.
ARC compared with other specialist Victorian lists
The ARC is one of several therapeutic and specialist streams operating within the Victorian Magistrates' Court. Others include the Drug Court, which addresses offending driven by alcohol or drug dependency through Drug and Alcohol Treatment Orders, and the Koori Court, a culturally safe sentencing forum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have pleaded guilty, in which Elders and Respected Persons take part in the sentencing conversation. The Neighbourhood Justice Centre in Collingwood combines a Magistrates' Court with integrated social and legal services under one roof. Bendigo itself operates a Koori Court alongside its ARC stream, giving the regional court more than one problem-solving pathway. If you are tracking a matter in a comparable regional ARC venue, the Ballarat ARC list follows the same structure and eligibility framework.
Frequently asked questions about the Bendigo ARC List
Is the ARC a sentencing court?
The ARC is a pre-sentence court. At the conclusion of an ARC episode, the magistrate retains the standard range of sentencing options available in mainstream court, so participation supports the process leading up to sentence rather than replacing it.
Do I have to be from Bendigo to be referred?
You are usually expected to live within the court's catchment area, but this requirement sits at the discretion of the magistrate, so it is worth raising your circumstances at the point of referral.
How often is this list updated?
The Bendigo ARC List on this page is refreshed throughout the day using official Victorian court publications, so it reflects the latest available schedule for the venue.
Can a family member refer someone to the ARC?
Yes. A referral can be made by anyone connected to the matter, including family members, community organisations, lawyers, Victoria Police, magistrates and the Court Integrated Services Program, and it should be made as early as possible.
What if I miss my ARC hearing?
Contact the Bendigo court registry as soon as possible on (03) 9087 5733. Because ARC participation is voluntary and supervised, staying in contact with your case manager and the registry is important to keeping your support plan on track. For matters listed in other regions, the Shepparton ARC list operates under the same Victorian arrangements.