Brisbane District Court: the QEII courts explained

The building, and the mistake people make

The Queen Elizabeth II Courts of Law occupies a whole city block bounded by George Street, Roma Street and Turbot Street. It opened in August 2012 with thirty nine courtrooms, twenty three of them criminal and fourteen civil, plus the ceremonial Banco Court.

Three separate courts share it: the District Court, the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. Your listing tells you which one you are in, and they behave differently. Do not assume that because you are in the QEII building you are in the District Court.

The other frequent error is the address. 415 George Street is this building. 363 George Street, a short walk away, is the Brisbane Magistrates Court, which is where your matter started. If you have been committed, you are now at 415.

Security screening is at the entrance and there are always queues before 9:30am. Factor that in.

Getting there

There is no public parking at 415 George Street. Nearby commercial car parks are expensive and the early bird windows do not line up neatly with a 10:00am listing.

• Roma Street station is the closest heavy rail option and sits at the top end of the block.
• Central station and the King George Square busway station are both a short walk through the CBD.
• From the Gold Coast, take the train to Roma Street rather than driving. A District Court listing is not a day to be sitting on the M1 wondering whether you will make it.
• If you drive, book a car park online the night before and add thirty minutes to whatever the map tells you.

What the District Court does here

• Indictable criminal matters committed up from the Magistrates Court under sections 552A and 552B of the Criminal Code Act 1899 (Qld), other than the most serious offences, which go to the Supreme Court.
• Sentences following a plea of guilty on indictment.
• Jury trials, where twelve jurors decide the facts and the judge decides the law.
• Civil claims within the court monetary limit, currently up to $750,000.
• Appeals from the Magistrates Court under section 222 of the Justices Act 1886 (Qld). Appeals correspondence goes to dc-appeals@justice.qld.gov.au and there is a short filing deadline.

Reading a District Court list

District and Supreme Court lists are published no later than 6:00pm on the day before, so unlike a Magistrates list you can plan the night before. They are also displayed on screens in the building.

The list is organised by judge and courtroom rather than being one long alphabetical run. Under each judge you will see the parties, the courtroom, the floor, the time and the type of listing: mention, callover, sentence, pre trial hearing or trial. Some entries carry a "video" marking where a party appears by link.

Jury panels are listed separately with their own reporting time and panel numbers. If you have been summoned for jury service, that entry is the one you are looking for, not the case entries.

Find the judge, the floor and the courtroom. Then go up, and wait outside the courtroom rather than in the ground floor foyer.

What actually happens at each type of listing

Callover or mention

Short and administrative. The court checks whether the matter is ready, whether disclosure is complete, and how long a trial would take, then allocates a date. Your lawyers may attend without you, but confirm that rather than assuming it.

Arraignment

The counts on the indictment are read to you and you plead to each one. This is the formal plea and it fixes the path the matter takes from there.

Sentence

The prosecution outlines the facts and the relevant range, your barrister makes submissions and hands up references and any reports, and the judge gives reasons and imposes sentence. Section 13 of the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 (Qld) requires an early plea to be taken into account. A sentence usually runs for part of a morning, though you will be at court for longer.

Trial

A jury of twelve is empanelled from the panel that reported that morning. The prosecution opens and calls evidence, the defence tests it, and the jury retires to decide. A District Court trial runs for days, sometimes weeks, and you attend every day of it.

Conduct in a Brisbane District Court courtroom

The rules are the same as any Queensland court but they are enforced more visibly here, particularly during a trial.

Phone off, not silent. No recording, photographing or broadcasting. No eating, drinking or chewing gum. Bow your head to the coat of arms as you enter and leave. Stand when the judge enters or leaves, on "all rise". Address the judge as "Your Honour".

Jurors have stricter obligations again: no devices in the courtroom at all, no independent research, and no discussion of the case outside the jury room.

On dress, the formal position is that neat is enough and a suit is not required. In practice, if you are being sentenced, dress as though the outcome matters, because a judge is being asked to assess your prospects of rehabilitation and your attitude to the offence.

Late, absent and adjourned

Do not be late to this building. A trial that cannot start can lose its listing and a jury panel can be discharged, and a re listing is measured in months rather than weeks. If something has gone wrong, ring the registry on 1800 497 117 and your solicitor before your listed time, not after it.

If you are on bail and you do not appear, the court can issue a warrant, and failing to appear is a separate offence under section 33 of the Bail Act 1980 (Qld). It will also be the first thing the prosecution raises the next time bail is considered.

An adjournment at District Court level usually reflects a real problem: outstanding disclosure, an unavailable witness, a report that has not arrived, or a court with no available judge. Dates here are scarce, so raise a problem with your lawyer as soon as you know about it.

If your matter has not been committed yet, the Brisbane Magistrates Court guide covers the stage you are actually at.