The aim of the court report is to get you out of the classroom and into the courtroom to see how the law works in practice! We would like you to visit a court to observe proceedings for a couple of hours and then write a report on your visit.
Planning your court visit
It is important to have an understanding of the court system before you embark on your visit. Therefore, please complete the required reading for Week 1 and 2 before visiting a court.
Your best chance of seeing a court case from beginning to end will be in the Local Court or District Court. Please be aware that there is no certainty that the magistrate or judge will reach a decision while you are in court and we do not expect you to stay until a decision is reached. A couple of hours observing proceedings should be sufficient to gain enough understanding of the matter to write your Report.
If you find yourself in the middle of a lengthy trial, you may find it more interesting to visit another court. Also, if you find yourself in a list court where matters are quickly mentioned, it may be more useful to move to another court as you may not gather sufficient information to complete the required Report.
Although you may wish to visit court with other students, you must submit your own written work.
Local Courts close to central Sydney
Balmain 368 Darling Street
Burwood 7-9 Belmore Street
Central 98 Liverpool Street
City Downing Centre 143 Liverpool Street
Newtown 222 Australia Street
North Sydney 94 Pacific Highway
Redfern 101 Redfern Street
(For locations of other Local Courts, please refer to the White Pages Telephone Directory under Local Courts).
District Court : Sydney
Downing Centre 143-147 Liverpool Street
(corner of Liverpool and Elizabeth Streets, above Museum Station)
The District Court also sits at 225 Macquarie Street and in Parramatta, Liverpool and Penrith.
Supreme Court
Law Courts Building, Queens Square (Phillip Street, near University