| Name | Court Room | Time |
|---|---|---|
| STOKMAN v P** H** RELOCATORS | Court Room 1 | 10:00am |
| LAUNDRY HOLDINGS PTY LTD v THOMAS | Court Room 2 | 9:30am |
Last updated: 10 Sep 2026, 10:02 am. Names are partially masked for privacy. Details may change — always check with the Registry.
If you have a matter listed at the Busselton Courthouse, this page is your practical starting point for finding today's daily law list, understanding what the court hears, and confirming the details you need before you attend. The Magistrates Court at Busselton sits at 12 Stanley Street, Busselton WA 6280, in the heart of the South West region, and it delivers frontline justice services to one of Western Australia's fastest-growing coastal communities. Daily court lists for this venue are published through the eCourts Portal of Western Australia at ecourts.justice.wa.gov.au and are updated each business day, so parties, legal practitioners, witnesses and members of the public can check where and when a case is being heard.
Busselton is roughly 230 kilometres south of Perth and forms part of the wider South West legal catchment. The City of Busselton recorded a population of 40,640 at the 2021 Census across a local government area spanning 1,455 square kilometres, and the region continues to grow steadily as a residential and tourism hub. That population base, combined with seasonal visitor numbers, drives a consistent volume of criminal, traffic and civil matters through the local Magistrates Court, making a reliable, centralised source for the Busselton court list a genuinely useful tool for the community.
What the Busselton Magistrates Court hears
The Magistrates Court of Western Australia is the first tier of the state's court hierarchy and the entry point for the overwhelming majority of legal matters. It came into existence in May 2005 following the amalgamation of the former Court of Petty Sessions, the Small Claims Tribunal and the Local Court, and it now operates under the Magistrates Court Act 2004 (WA) and the Magistrates Court (Civil Proceedings) Act 2004 (WA). At Busselton, this means a single venue deals with a broad cross-section of everyday legal business for the surrounding district.
The Busselton daily law list typically covers summary criminal offences, traffic and driving matters, family violence restraining order and violence restraining order applications, bail applications, and committal hearings for more serious indictable offences that will ultimately be finalised in a higher court. On the civil side, the Magistrates Court hears claims for debt and damages up to $75,000, while the Minor Cases Procedure deals with lower-value disputes up to $10,000 through a simplified, lower-cost process. Western Australia's civil jurisdictional limit is deliberately set lower than in several other states, reflecting a policy of channelling higher-value litigation to the intermediate court.
Criminal and traffic matters
Most people attending the Busselton Courthouse are there for a criminal or traffic listing. Summary offences heard by the Magistrates Court commonly include drink and drug driving, driving while suspended, disorderly conduct, minor assaults, stealing and other property offences, and breaches of court orders. The court also processes extraordinary licence applications for drivers who have lost their authority to drive. More serious charges begin here as committal proceedings before being transferred upward, so a first appearance at Busselton is frequently the beginning of a longer court journey rather than its conclusion.
Civil disputes and restraining orders
The civil workload at a regional venue like Busselton spans debt recovery, consumer and trader disputes, dividing fences matters and general damages claims within the monetary limit. Protective matters are also central to the court's role: applications for family violence restraining orders and violence restraining orders are heard here, giving local residents access to urgent protection without needing to travel to Perth. For anyone comparing the reach of different venues, it helps to understand how the WA court system fits together, and our Western Australia court listings hub sets out the full hierarchy from the Magistrates Court through to the Supreme Court.
How the WA court hierarchy affects your Busselton matter
Western Australia operates the most geographically dispersed court system in the country, covering roughly 2.5 million square kilometres from metropolitan Perth to remote circuit courts in the Kimberley, the Pilbara and the Goldfields. Within that structure, three tiers handle the bulk of state matters. The Magistrates Court deals with summary offences and civil claims up to $75,000. The District Court of Western Australia, established on 1 April 1970, is the intermediate trial court and hears serious indictable offences alongside civil claims up to $750,000, with unlimited jurisdiction for personal injury damages. The Supreme Court sits at the top of the state hierarchy for the most serious criminal cases, such as murder, and the largest civil disputes.
This tiered arrangement matters at Busselton because the town hosts both a Magistrates Court and a District Court registry at the same Stanley Street precinct. A charge that starts as a committal in the Magistrates Court may be finalised in the District Court, and understanding which list your matter appears on prevents a wasted trip. If your matter has moved up a tier, you can check the relevant listings on our Busselton District Court page rather than the Magistrates Court list.
Court volumes across Western Australia
The scale of activity across the WA Magistrates Court underlines why a searchable listings service is valuable to regional communities. According to the Magistrates Court of Western Australia Annual Report, criminal case lodgements reached 104,002 in 2024-2025, up from 93,180 in 2023-2024, an increase of nearly 12 per cent in a single year. That growth places real pressure on registries and reinforces the importance of accurate, up-to-date daily lists, particularly at busy regional venues serving expanding populations like Busselton.
The demographic profile of the district provides context for the caseload. The median age in the City of Busselton was 45 years at the 2021 Census, notably older than the Western Australian median of 38, and 782 residents, or 1.93 per cent of the local government area, identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. England remains the most common overseas country of birth in the community. These characteristics shape the mix of matters coming before the local court, from traffic offences among a mobile visitor population to civil and protective matters within a settled resident base.
Attending the Busselton Courthouse
The Busselton Courthouse is located at 12 Stanley Street, Busselton WA 6280, with a postal address of PO Box 245, Busselton WA 6280. Registry hours are generally 9:00am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday, and the venue can be contacted by phone on (08) 9754 9666. Whenever registry hours or telephone details are critical to your plans, it is sensible to confirm them directly with the court, because arrangements at regional courthouses can change and some services operate on scheduled sitting days rather than continuously.
If you are attending in person, plan to arrive well before your listed time. Court lists are ordered by courtroom and sitting time, not alphabetically by name, so allow time to locate the correct courtroom, pass through any security screening and speak with your lawyer or the duty lawyer if you have one. Bring identification, any documents relevant to your matter, and your listing reference if you have it. If you are unsure whether your matter is proceeding, checking the current list online before you leave home can save an unnecessary journey.
Getting to Stanley Street
Busselton sits on the Bussell Highway corridor and is well connected by road to the surrounding South West towns. On-street and nearby public parking is generally available around the Stanley Street precinct, though it can be busier during peak tourist periods. Parties travelling from outlying communities such as Dunsborough, Yallingup and the Vasse should factor in regional driving times, particularly during summer and school holidays when traffic through the region increases.
Neighbouring South West courts
Busselton is one node in a network of South West courthouses, and matters are sometimes listed at nearby venues depending on where an offence occurred or where a party resides. The busiest neighbouring registry is Bunbury, and you can review the Bunbury Magistrates Court listings if your matter has been allocated there instead. Further south, the Margaret River Courthouse serves the wine region and coastal communities; the Margaret River court list is a useful reference for residents of that catchment. Manjimup and Collie complete the cluster of regional venues that share the South West workload.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the Busselton court list today?
Daily court lists for the Busselton Magistrates Court are published through the eCourts Portal of Western Australia at ecourts.justice.wa.gov.au and are updated each business day. This page gathers the key information you need to interpret that list, including the venue address, the types of matters heard and the contact details for the registry.
What types of cases are heard at the Busselton Magistrates Court?
The court hears summary criminal offences, traffic and driving matters, bail applications, family violence and violence restraining order applications, committal hearings for serious indictable offences, and civil claims for debt and damages up to $75,000, with minor cases up to $10,000 dealt with under a simplified procedure.
Is the Busselton court a Magistrates Court or a District Court?
Both operate from the Stanley Street precinct. The Magistrates Court handles the bulk of everyday summary and lower-value civil matters, while the District Court registry deals with more serious indictable offences and larger civil claims. Confirm which court your matter is listed in so you attend the correct list on the correct day.
How can I contact the Busselton Courthouse?
The courthouse is at 12 Stanley Street, Busselton WA 6280, and can be reached by phone on (08) 9754 9666 during registry hours, which are generally 9:00am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Because sitting days and service arrangements can vary at regional venues, verify details directly with the registry before you attend.
Do I need a lawyer to appear at Busselton?
You are entitled to represent yourself, but many people benefit from legal advice, especially for criminal charges or contested civil claims. A duty lawyer service may be available at court for eligible defendants on sitting days. If your matter is serious or complex, obtaining advice before your listed date is strongly advisable.
What happens if I miss my court date?
Failing to appear when required can have serious consequences, including a warrant being issued for your arrest in criminal matters, or a matter proceeding in your absence in civil claims. If you cannot attend, contact the registry as early as possible to understand your options, and seek legal advice about applying for an adjournment where appropriate.
This page is designed as an informational guide to help you locate and understand the Busselton Magistrates Court daily law list. It does not provide legal advice, and court schedules can change without notice, so always confirm the current listing and any registry details with the court before you attend. For matters listed elsewhere in the state, our statewide WA court listings resource provides a single starting point for searching court schedules across Western Australia.
