The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in the state and one of the oldest superior courts in Australia, established in 1852 following Victoria's separation from New South Wales. Sitting at 210 William Street in the Melbourne CBD, it is a superior court of common law and equity with unlimited and inherent jurisdiction across Victoria. Only the High Court of Australia sits above it. If you are searching the Victorian Supreme Court list to follow a specific proceeding, confirm a courtroom, or plan your attendance, this page explains how the daily hearing list works, what the Court hears, and where each matter fits within Victoria's court hierarchy.
The Court's Daily Hearing List sets out every matter scheduled to be heard on a given sitting day, together with the listed time, the presiding judicial officer, and the courtroom or virtual hearing details. The list is first published from around 3.40pm on the preceding business day and refreshed roughly every 15 minutes until about 6.30pm, then updated again at 8.30am, 9am and 9.30am on the morning of the hearing. Because listings shift as matters settle, adjourn or are reallocated, checking close to your hearing time is the most reliable way to confirm where you need to be.
What the Supreme Court of Victoria hears
The Supreme Court deals with the most serious criminal charges and the most complex civil disputes in Victoria. On the criminal side, its Trial Division hears indictable offences such as murder, manslaughter, treason and large-scale conspiracy and corporate matters. On the civil side, it manages high-value commercial disputes, equity and trust claims, major torts, personal injury litigation, probate and estate administration, and judicial review. Many of these proceedings involve amounts or questions of law beyond the reach of the County Court and Magistrates' Court, which is why they are commenced in the state's apex trial court.
The Court is organised into two divisions. The Trial Division exercises the Court's original jurisdiction and is itself made up of the Criminal Division, the Common Law Division and the Commercial Court. The Court of Appeal exercises the appellate jurisdiction and hears appeals from the Trial Division, from the County Court of Victoria, and from some decisions of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. The Court of Appeal was established under the Constitution (Court of Appeal) Act 1994 and began hearing cases in June 1995. Appeals are usually heard by three justices, though five may sit where a matter is especially significant.
How the daily hearing list is structured
Each entry on the Supreme Court list identifies the division, the presiding judge or judicial registrar, the case number, the party names, the hearing type, and the venue. Hearing types you will commonly see include trials, directions hearings, applications, judgments and sentences. Understanding these labels helps you gauge how long a listing may run and whether the public gallery is likely to be open on the day.
- Trial: the substantive hearing of a criminal or civil matter, often running across multiple days or weeks.
- Directions hearing: a shorter procedural listing where the Court sets timetables and manages the path to trial.
- Application: an interlocutory request decided before or during the main proceeding.
- Judgment or sentence: the delivery of the Court's decision or the sentencing of an offender.
Hearings may take place in a physical courtroom or virtually by video conference. When a matter is heard in a courtroom, members of the public can generally observe from the gallery, with the location published in the daily list. For virtual hearings, access is arranged through the associate to the relevant judicial officer. For those who cannot attend in person, the Court also live streams selected proceedings, subject to strict terms of use that prohibit recording, screenshots or rebroadcasting.
Supreme Court of Victoria: verified caseload statistics
The Court's 2024-25 annual report, tabled in Parliament on 4 December 2025, records a busy and growing workload. Overall case numbers across the Court rose by 9.6 per cent compared with the previous year. Civil cases brought before the Court of Appeal increased by 17.1 per cent, while the Criminal Division delivered a clearance rate of 168 per cent, meaning it finalised well above the volume of new matters it received.
Efficiency measures also delivered measurable savings. Fast-track committals reduced overall case duration by an average of 4.1 months from the date of charge to finalisation. In the Civil Division, judicial mediation saved 1,484 trial days along with substantial legal costs for litigants, and mediations in the Costs Court saved a further 381 days. Demand on the Court's specialist work continued to climb as well, with hearings in the Associate Judges' Chambers Applications List and Specialist Lists growing by 26.4 per cent to 10,747 hearings over the year. These figures underline why the daily hearing list can be lengthy and why listings are updated so frequently.
For historical context, the Court's earlier reporting shows how caseloads move with external conditions. In 2020-21, initiations fell to 5,138 and finalisations to 5,057, sharp declines of 21.8 per cent and 23.1 per cent driven largely by pandemic disruption, with pending matters sitting at 5,209. The strong clearance and growth figures in the most recent report reflect the Court's sustained recovery and its investment in digital case management and dispute resolution.
Where the Supreme Court sits across Victoria
While most matters are heard in the Melbourne CBD, the Supreme Court describes itself as a 'court for all Victorians' and travels on circuit so that cases can be heard closer to where they arise. The Common Law Division sits at regional centres including Sale, Ballarat, Bendigo and other Victorian cities on a scheduled circuit basis throughout the court year. The Court's Melbourne calendar and regional Circuit Court calendar list upcoming sitting dates, which is useful if you are tracking a regional matter or planning to attend.
The Melbourne buildings themselves cluster around William Street and Little Bourke Street. The principal Supreme Court building at 210 William Street is open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6pm except public holidays, while the Registry counter at 450 Little Bourke Street operates from 9.30am to 4pm on business days. If your court documents nominate a specific venue, always follow them, as related matters can be spread across several nearby buildings, including the William Cooper Justice Centre at 223 William Street.
Where the Supreme Court fits in Victoria's court hierarchy
Victoria's court system is tiered, and knowing the structure helps you confirm you are viewing the right list. The Magistrates' Court hears summary offences and lower-value civil claims and forms the busiest tier by volume. The County Court sits in the middle, with roughly 70 sitting judges hearing up to 12,000 cases a year across serious criminal trials and civil disputes. The Supreme Court sits at the top of the state hierarchy, hearing the gravest criminal matters and the most complex civil litigation, as well as appeals. If you began your search in the wrong tier, you can move across to the Victorian County Court daily list or the broader Victorian Magistrates' Court list to locate your matter.
For a complete overview of every court and tribunal listing available for the state, the Victoria court list hub brings together the Supreme, County, Magistrates' and specialist jurisdictions in one place. If your matter is a Commonwealth proceeding rather than a state one, the Federal Court daily list covers those separately, since federal matters follow a different hierarchy that ultimately reaches the High Court of Australia.
How to find your matter on the Victorian Supreme Court list
To locate a specific proceeding quickly, work from the details on your court documents. Note the case number, the division and the party names, then scan the published list for the matching entry. Because the list is reorganised by division and courtroom rather than alphabetically by party in every instance, the case number is usually the fastest anchor. If you cannot see your matter, check the timestamp on the list, as an earlier version may not yet reflect an overnight update, and confirm you are viewing the correct sitting day.
- Confirm the division: Criminal, Common Law, Commercial Court, or Court of Appeal.
- Match the case number exactly, including the year and registry prefix.
- Check the listed time and whether the hearing is in person or virtual.
- Note the building and courtroom, as CBD matters are spread across several venues.
- Refresh close to the hearing, since listings update several times each morning.
Attending or observing a hearing
Open justice is a core principle of the Supreme Court, and members of the public are generally welcome to observe proceedings during business hours, except in rare restricted circumstances such as suppressed or closed matters. Photography and recording inside court buildings and grounds are prohibited without formal permission. If you plan to attend, arrive early to clear security, silence your phone, and check the public gallery capacity for high-profile trials, which can fill quickly.
Frequently asked questions
What time is the Supreme Court of Victoria daily list published?
The Daily Hearing List is available from around 3.40pm on the business day before each sitting day, with updates roughly every 15 minutes until about 6.30pm, and further updates at 8.30am, 9am and 9.30am on the morning of the hearing.
Can I watch a Supreme Court of Victoria hearing online?
Some hearings, judgments and sentences are live streamed for public viewing, particularly Court of Appeal matters. Access details are published alongside the daily list, and strict terms of use prohibit any recording, screenshots or rebroadcasting.
What is the difference between the Trial Division and the Court of Appeal?
The Trial Division exercises the Court's original jurisdiction and hears matters at first instance across its Criminal, Common Law and Commercial Court lists. The Court of Appeal hears appeals from the Trial Division, the County Court and some VCAT decisions, usually before three justices.
Does the Supreme Court of Victoria sit outside Melbourne?
Yes. Although most matters are heard in the Melbourne CBD, the Court travels on circuit to regional centres such as Sale, Ballarat and Bendigo so that cases can be heard closer to where they originate.
Which court is higher than the Supreme Court of Victoria?
Only the High Court of Australia can review decisions of the Supreme Court of Victoria, making it the apex court of the Victorian judicial system.