| Name | Court Room | Time |
|---|---|---|
| BROWNING, P** J** | Courtroom | 10:00am |
Last updated: 15 May 2026, 10:05 am. Names are partially masked for privacy. Details may change — always check with the Registry.
The District Court of Western Australia sits on circuit at the Esperance Courthouse to hear serious criminal and civil matters for the Goldfields-Esperance region, bringing the state's intermediate court to one of the most remote coastal communities in the country. Located on the Southern Ocean roughly 713 kilometres east-southeast of Perth and 391 kilometres south of Kalgoorlie, Esperance relies on these circuit sittings so that residents of the Shire of Esperance, home to 13,883 people at the 2021 Census, do not have to travel hundreds of kilometres to access a higher court. This page explains how the Esperance District Court circuit works, what it hears, and how to find the daily court list.
About the District Court of Western Australia at Esperance
The District Court of Western Australia is the intermediate court in the state's justice hierarchy, sitting between the Magistrates Court below it and the Supreme Court above it. It was established on 1 April 1970 under the District Court Act 1969 (WA), beginning with just four judges as the growing population of Western Australia placed increasing pressure on the existing Magistrates Court and Supreme Court. More than five decades later, the Court operates from its Perth headquarters at 500 Hay Street and reaches the regions through twelve country registries located at Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Busselton, Carnarvon, Derby, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Kununurra and South Hedland.
Esperance is one of those twelve registries. Rather than housing a permanently resident District Court judge, the town is served by circuit sittings, where a judge travels from Perth to hear a block of matters over a defined period. This circuit model allows the District Court to deliver trials, sentencing and appeals to regional Western Australians while concentrating its permanent judicial resources in the capital.
What the Esperance District Court circuit hears
The District Court deals with serious indictable offences and substantial civil disputes that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Magistrates Court. Understanding the divide between the two courts helps litigants and defendants work out where their matter belongs.
Criminal jurisdiction
In its criminal jurisdiction the District Court hears serious, indictable offences carrying maximum penalties of up to 25 years imprisonment. Typical matters include:
- Serious assaults and grievous bodily harm
- Sexual offences and sexual assault
- Serious fraud, commercial theft and dishonesty offences
- Burglary and aggravated home burglary
- Drug offences, including trafficking and cultivation
The District Court is the trial court where jury trials are conducted for these offences. Most criminal matters reach the District Court after committal from the Magistrates Court, which handles the earlier procedural stages before an indictable charge proceeds to a higher court.
Civil jurisdiction
On the civil side, the District Court determines claims of up to $750,000. Importantly, it has unlimited jurisdiction in claims for damages arising from personal injury, which means motor vehicle accident claims, workplace injury disputes and public liability actions can be heard at Esperance regardless of the amount in dispute. This unlimited personal injury jurisdiction is one of the defining features that sets the District Court apart from the Magistrates Court, whose civil limit is far lower.
Appeals
The District Court also functions as an appellate court. Decisions of the Magistrates Court of Western Australia, and of certain tribunals, can be appealed to the District Court. Decisions of the District Court itself can in turn be appealed to the Supreme Court of Western Australia, preserving the layered structure of review that underpins the state legal system.
How circuit sittings work in Esperance
Circuit sittings are the mechanism that allows the District Court to reach regional centres such as Esperance and Kalgoorlie. When the Court is on circuit, a judge, court staff and the necessary parties assemble at the local courthouse to work through a listed group of trials, pleas and sentencing hearings.
Before a trial is heard, the Court conducts circuit trial listing hearings, known as TLHs, by videolink. These are held to locations including Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, Geraldton, Carnarvon, South Hedland, Karratha, Broome, Derby and Kununurra. Circuit trial listing hearings begin at 9:15 am. During these hearings, counsel for the prosecution and any Perth-based defence counsel appear in person in the Perth courtroom, while country-based defence counsel appear in person at the circuit location. Accused persons who are on bail and legally represented generally answer their bail by reporting to the local courthouse in the circuit location.
Esperance courthouse location and contact
The Esperance Courthouse is located on Dempster Street, Esperance WA 6450, in the town centre near the Southern Ocean foreshore. The registry can be contacted by telephone on (08) 9071 2444 and by email at esperancecourt@justice.wa.gov.au. Anyone with a listed matter should confirm their court date, time and courtroom on their official notice, and arrive early to allow time to clear security screening before proceedings begin.
Recent changes to the Esperance circuit
Court services in remote Western Australia are subject to change, and Esperance has been directly affected by recent operational decisions. In a public notice issued on 15 May 2026, the District Court announced the suspension of the Derby and Esperance circuits for a three-month period, with Esperance matters to be transferred to Kalgoorlie and Derby matters to Broome. Where a matter could not be accommodated at an alternative location or by videolink, the hearing was to be vacated and relisted at the earliest possible date.
Because arrangements of this kind can be updated or reinstated, anyone with a matter connected to the Esperance circuit should verify the current position directly with the court registry and check the most recent daily list before travelling. For matters redirected to the Goldfields, the WA District Court Kalgoorlie courthouse is the nominated alternative venue, and its listings are the ones to monitor while the Esperance circuit is affected.
Esperance in context: the Goldfields-Esperance region
Esperance is the coastal anchor of the vast Goldfields-Esperance region. The Shire of Esperance covers 42,546.9 square kilometres, an area larger than several small countries, yet supports a population of fewer than 14,000 people spread across the town and surrounding agricultural districts such as Salmon Gums, Scaddan and Condingup. The town itself was established in 1893, sits at an elevation of just 8 metres above sea level, and enjoys a mild maritime climate with a mean maximum temperature of 22.0 degrees Celsius and annual rainfall of about 615 millimetres.
The distances involved explain why local circuit sittings matter so much. Esperance lies 391 kilometres south of Kalgoorlie by road and rail, connected historically by the Esperance railway line that has run between the two centres since the mid-1970s. For a defendant, witness or injured claimant living in Esperance, the difference between a local circuit sitting and a transfer to Kalgoorlie can mean hundreds of kilometres of additional travel, which is why the status of the circuit is a live practical concern for the community.
Finding the Esperance District Court list
Daily court lists tell you which matters are being heard, in which courtroom, and at what time. Checking the list before you attend helps you confirm your appearance and avoid unnecessary trips, particularly while circuit arrangements are subject to change. You can review the consolidated Western Australia court lists hub to navigate between District Court, Supreme Court and Magistrates Court sittings across the state.
For everyday summary matters, traffic charges, restraining orders and committals that begin before a magistrate rather than a District Court judge, the local Esperance Magistrates Court handles those listings at the same Dempster Street complex. If your matter is a serious indictable charge or a personal injury claim, it will instead be listed under the District Court circuit.
District Court judges and structure
The District Court is led by the Chief Judge, a position held since 2 May 2020 by Chief Judge Julie Anne Wager. Judges of the District Court are appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of Cabinet and face mandatory retirement at the age of 70. The judges who preside over circuit sittings at Esperance are drawn from this bench and travel from Perth to hear the regional list, ensuring that country litigants appear before the same calibre of judicial officer as those in the capital. For matters that ultimately move up the hierarchy, appeals proceed to the Supreme Court of Western Australia, which sits at the apex of the state courts.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a permanent District Court judge in Esperance?
No. Esperance is a country registry served by circuit sittings, where a judge travels from Perth to hear a block of matters. There is no permanently resident District Court judge in the town.
What is the difference between the Esperance Magistrates Court and the District Court?
The Magistrates Court handles summary offences, traffic matters, restraining orders, committals and smaller civil claims. The District Court hears serious indictable offences carrying up to 25 years imprisonment, civil claims up to $750,000, and personal injury claims with no upper limit. Serious matters typically pass from the Magistrates Court to the District Court after committal.
Where are Esperance District Court matters heard if the circuit is suspended?
Under the 15 May 2026 public notice, Esperance District Court matters were transferred to Kalgoorlie during the suspension period, or dealt with by videolink where possible. Because these arrangements can change, confirm the current venue with the registry before attending.
How far is Esperance from Kalgoorlie for transferred matters?
Esperance is approximately 391 kilometres south of Kalgoorlie by road, a substantial journey that underlines why local circuit access is important for the community.
What civil claims can the Esperance District Court hear?
The District Court can hear civil claims up to $750,000, and has unlimited jurisdiction in claims for damages for personal injury, which includes motor vehicle, workplace and public liability injury claims.
How do I check today's Esperance court list?
Review the daily list before attending to confirm your matter, courtroom and time. Always check the most recent list, since circuit and interim arrangements can change at short notice.
