Date:

09/30/1999

The Chief Justice of the NSW Supreme Court has announced that three weeks of the variable vacation for the year 2000 have been fixed for the period commencing Monday 11 September 2000 and concluding on Friday 29 September 2000. Sittings of the Court will resume on Tuesday 3 October 2000, following the Labour Day holiday which, subject to proclamation, will take place on Monday 2 October 2000.

This vacation has been fixed pursuant to Part 1A Rule 2(3) of the Supreme Court Rules 1970 and coincides with the Olympic Games, which will commence on Friday 15 September 2000 and conclude on Sunday 1 October 2000. The arrangement takes into account the availability of police for court work during the period, the impact of transport congestion on prisoner transport, court personnel, witnesses, jurors, the legal profession and court reporters and accommodation difficulties for witnesses and litigants.

The running of time under the Supreme Court Rules will be suspended during the three week period.

During the vacation, duty judges and registrars will, however, be available, to deal with urgent applications, and registry services will be maintained. Call overs will also be scheduled early in 2000 to ascertain the extent of interest in listing civil non jury trials involving few or no witnesses and appeals, both civil and criminal.

These arrangements will ensure that there is no reduction in the courts’ sitting time.