Supreme Court of Victoria
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The Supreme Court of Victoria is the superior court for the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1852, and is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited jurisdiction within the state. Those courts lying below it include the County Court of Victoria, the Magistrates' Court of Victoria and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (which is technically not a court, but serves a judicial function). Above it lies the High Court of Australia. This places it around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy.
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[edit] Jurisdiction of Supreme Court
The Supreme Court has two divisions - the Trial Division and the Court of Appeal.
The Trial Division sits with one judge, and usually acts as a court of original jurisdiction for serious criminal matters such as murder, attempted murder, corporate offences and certain conspiracy charges, and civil matters which are considered to involve greater complexity or amounts of money more than would be appropriate to have determined in the Magistrates' Court (whose civil jurisdictional limit is presently $100,000) or County Court (whose jurisdiction has since the beginning of 2007 been unlimited as to amount). The Trial Division also acts as an appeal court from the Magistrates' Court on questions of law, and appeals from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on points of law, except against an order of the President or Vice-President of the Tribunal. It also hears federal indictable offences such as treason.
The Court of Appeal hears appeals from the County Court and the Trial Division, as well as appeals on points of law from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal against the order of the President or Vice-President, and usually consists of a panel of three Judges of Appeal. In rare cases where it is sought to overrule or reconsider the correctness of a previous Court of Appeal decision, it can sit with five judges.
[edit] Locations
The main buildings for the Supreme Court are located at the corner of William and Lonsdale Streets in Melbourne and in nearby buildings.[1]
The Supreme Court also does circuits to Ballarat, Geelong, Warrnambool, Hamilton, Horsham, Bendigo, Mildura, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Wodonga and Sale. In these locations the Court uses the facilities of the local Magistrates' Court.[2]
[edit] Current Judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria
As of 2007 (appointment date in brackets):
[edit] Chief Justice
- Marilyn Warren (26 November 2003)
[edit] President of the Court of Appeal
- Chris Maxwell (18 July 2005)
[edit] Judges of the Court of Appeal
- Peter Buchanan (28 October 1997)
- Frank Vincent (12 June 2001)
- Geoffrey Nettle (8 June 2004)
- David Ashley (21 June 2005)
- Marcia Neave (22 February 2006)
- Robert Redlich (8 May 2006)
- Murray Kellam (16 May 2007)
- Julie Dodds-Streeton (8 August 2007)
[edit] Judges
- Philip Cummins (17 February 1988)
- Thomas Smith (1 May 1990)
- John Coldrey (19 February 1991)
- David Byrne (20 August 1991)
- David Harper (11 March 1992)
- Hartley Hansen (6 April 1994)
- Philip Mandie (10 May 1994)
- Bernard Bongiorno (18 December 2000)
- David Habersberger (3 July 2001)
- Robert Osborn (9 May 2002)
- Katherine Williams (25 October 2002)
- Stephen Kaye (16 December 2003)
- Simon Whelan (17 March 2004)
- Elizabeth Hollingworth (7 June 2004)
- Kevin Bell (10 February 2005)
- Kim Hargrave (18 March 2005)
- Betty King (21 June 2005)
- Anthony Cavanough (8 May 2006)
- Elizabeth Curtain (3 October 2006)
- Tony Pagone (16 May 2007; previously served from 3 October 2001 - 30 June 2002)
- Paul Coghlan (8 August 2007)
- Ross Robson (8 August 2007)
- Jack Forrest (8 August 2007)
- Lex Lasry (23 October 2007)
- James Judd (4 March 2008)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Official Supreme Court of Victoria website
- Supreme Court Act (The Act which governs the Supreme Court) (pdf 459kb)
- Supreme Court of Victoria is at coordinates Coordinates:
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