Arriving at court

The process for arriving at court is similar in the Magistrates Court, Supreme Court and the District Court.

Defendants and witnesses will need to wait until their case is called, so they should take the day off work and arrange childcare if needed.

The daily law lists, which are displayed on notice boards or television screens in courthouse foyers, show the cases and what courtrooms they will be heard in each day.

For further information, take the virtual tour or visit the Queensland Courts website

For courthouses address and contact details, click here.

Both defendants and witnesses should:

• arrive early at court
• bring a family member or friend for support
• bring any paperwork and a pen
• bring food and drink for outside the courtroom (a café is located in or near some courts)
• check with security about what they can bring into the courthouse.
  

Witnesses

Either the defence lawyer, the defendant or the prosecutor will arrange to meet their respective witnesses at the court and will take them to an area outside the courtroom to wait.

The prosecutor may take special witnesses to a private area to wait and make arrangements to protect them while giving evidence.

Witnesses should:

• wait in this area until they are called by the depositions clerk or bailiff, as they cannot sit inside the courtroom and hear other witnesses evidence
• ask for an interpreter if needed (this should be pre-arranged)
• bring a copy of any documents and police statements to help them prepare as the questions the lawyers ask will be about these statements (however witnesses can't read from these statements in the witness box)
• wait to be called to the witness box.