Date:

03/09/2000

Management of criminal trials will commence earlier than has been provided for in Practice Note 103, which is superseded.

Magistrates committing persons to the Supreme Court for trial or sentence should continue to direct them to appear on a day to be fixed by the Supreme Court.

The Criminal Registry will fix such matters and ex officio criminal prosecutions for directions before the judge administering the criminal list and will notify the accused of the fixture. All matters will be heard in Sydney, unless another venue is justified in any particular case, generally on the first Friday of the first month not less than one month after committal or filing of the ex officio indictment.

If this practice would result in a January date, the matter will be listed on the first Friday in February.

Cases of accused committed between February and April 2000 will be listed in June 2000. Committals in and after May 2000 will be listed at the times set out above.

The Court expects practitioners to be instructed and to be able to inform the Court about the state of preparation of matters.


Matters will ordinarily be given a trial date the first time they appear in the list. In fixing trial dates the Court will have in mind its time standards for the disposal of cases. Where appropriate, cases will also be adjourned for further management by the Judge administering the criminal list. Accused persons will be required to attend and may plead to an indictment at the first listing or, if an adjournment is granted, at a later listing.

Practitioners will be expected at the first or adjourned hearing to identify the issues for trial and estimate the likely hearing time required.






9 March 2000
Chief Justice