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Where am I now? Lawlink > Local Courts > Appearing in Court
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Appearing in Court
Many people appear in courts. The following information may assist you access the services that you need to help you with the court process.
Court Lists
Addressing Magistrates
Interpreters
Finding a Solicitor
Support Services
- Victims
- People with a Disability
- Witnesses
Bail
Appeals
Court Lists
Make sure you go to court on the right day. If you are not sure or have forgotten, check with the Local Court your case is listed at. This link will take you to the court lists for each Local Court.
Addressing Magistrates
You address the Magistrate as "Your Honour" in the Local Court.
Interpreters
To ensure that people appearing in Local Courts are not disadvantaged as a result of language difficulties, translators and interpreters can be arranged.
People attending Court may require interpreters because they:
- are hearing impaired and use sign language
- do not have English as their first language and as a result may experience difficulty in comprehending or fully participating in all or part of the proceedings.
All clients of a Local Court have a right to have an interpreter present in any court proceeding, but not all are provided free of charge.
There is no fee for interpreters to assist people in the Local Court for:
- defendants in criminal matters
- all domestic violence matters
- interviews with Chamber Registrars relating to criminal or Apprehended Violence Orders
- parties in care proceedings and criminal proceedings in the Children’s Court
- appeals for Family Law matters
- appeals relating to driver’s licences
Any person involved in proceedings in the civil jurisdiction will generally need to meet the cost of an interpreter, but can ask for reimbursement of the costs at the end of the case if they were the successful party.
Fee exemptions are available for the provision of an interpreter in civil claims matters in some situations of financial hardship.
Contact the Local Court if you need an interpreter or translator. This link will take you to the contact and location details for all Local Courts in NSW.
Finding a Solicitor
LawAccess NSW, a free government telephone service that provides legal information, advice and referrals and can assist you locate a solicitor.
This brochure will provide you with more information about the service LawAccess NSW provides. LawAccess online, www.lawaccess.nsw.gov.au is also a great starting point to search for information about your legal problem or question about the law.
You can contact LawAccess NSW on 1300 888 529 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) or TTY 1300 889 529.
If you need an Interpreter, you can contact LawAccess NSW through the Telephone and Interpreting Service on 131 450.
For other links that may assist you with a legal problem, click here: Legal Links
Support Services
There are many support services available to assist people appearing at court. The following are a few links to help you find the support you need.
The Victims Services division of the Attorney General's Department provides a Victims Support Line for victims of crime. Call 1800 633 063 for assistance.
These links provide more information about the rignts of victims:
Charter of Victims Rights
Victims Impact Statements
Victims Registers
This link will take you to the Courtwise website for information about children appearing at court and the court process.
This link will take you to the Victims of Crime website for more information about assistance at court.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) provides assistance to witnesses and victims of crime in cases prosecuted by the ODPP.
This link will take you to the ODPP website for more information.
Local Courts are committed to assisting people access our services.
Hearing Assistance
Many Local Courts have an infra-red hearing loop available, or they can arrange for a portable kit to be available on the day of court. Contact the Local Court you have to appear at least a week before to check if the intra-red system is available or for it to be arranged.
TTY
Many courts have a TTY if you need to contact us
Information in Alternative Formats
Ask us about providing forms in a larger font if you have difficulty reading our forms or publications.
Bail
This link will take you to the Courtwise website that gives more information about bail.
Appeals
In criminal matters, appeals from the Local Court are usually made to the District Court. (Note: Some offences may require an appeal to be made to the Supreme Court or the Federal Court of Australia)
If you were not present when the conviction or sentence was made, you may be able to ask the Local Court to review the decision.
If you have been convicted or sentence in the Local Court and are thinking about lodging an appeal, get some legal advice. LawAccess NSW can assist, call 1300 888 529.
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