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District Court of South Australia

District Court of South Australia
Coat of arms of South Australia
The Sir Samuel Way Building, the main seat of the District Court of South Australia
Map
34°55′47″S 138°35′56″E / 34.929777°S 138.598805°E / -34.929777; 138.598805
Established1969
Jurisdiction South Australia
LocationAdelaide
Coordinates34°55′47″S 138°35′56″E / 34.929777°S 138.598805°E / -34.929777; 138.598805
Composition methodVice-regal appointment upon nomination by the Premier following the advice of the Attorney General and Executive Council of South Australia
Authorised byParliament of South Australia via the: District Court Act 1991 (SA)
Appeals toSupreme Court of South Australia
Judge term lengthMandatory retirement by age of 70
WebsiteDistrict Court information section and location link
Chief Judge of the District Court
CurrentlyMichael Evans
Since20 Dec 2016

The District Court of South Australia is South Australia's principal trial court. It was established as a court of record by the District Court Act 1991. Prior to that the Court had existed since 1969 under the Local and District Criminal Courts Act 1926.

Jurisdiction and appointment of judges

Judges of the District Court are appointed by the Governor of South Australia on the advice of the Executive Council. Once appointed, they cannot be removed from office except by an address from both houses of the South Australian Parliament. They must retire when they reach the age of 70. Judges of the Employment Court, the Environment, Resources and Development Court, the Licensing Court and the Youth Court, as well as Masters of the Supreme Court, also formally hold office as District Court Judges. They are not listed on this page (except where they have also served as a District Court Judge).

The work of the Court is divided into four areas: civil, criminal, administrative and disciplinary, and criminal injuries. The District Court can hear most civil and criminal matters except for offences related to murder and treason. It also has jurisdiction over criminal injuries compensation claims. In the administrative and disciplinary division, the Court hears appeals from various government agencies, tribunals and disciplinary bodies. The Court is usually constituted of a single judge sitting alone or with a jury (in criminal trials only). In certain cases a judge may sit with two assessors who, with the judge, determine factual questions while the judge determines questions of law. For ceremonial occasions such as the swearing in of a new judge, the Court sits as a Full Court constituted of all available judges.

The main seat of the Court is the Sir Samuel Way Building in Victoria Square, Adelaide (which was originally the Charles Moore and Co. Department store).[1] It also conducts circuits in Mount Gambier, Berri, Port Pirie, Whyalla and Port Lincoln (civil), and Mount Gambier and Port Augusta (criminal).

Current judges of the District Court

Judges of the District Court of South Australia as of December 2024 are:[2] (Date of appointment appears in brackets)

Chief Judge

  • Michael Greig Evans (20 December 2016)[3]

Judges

  • Rauf Soulio (12 October 2006)[4]
  • Geraldine Davison (25 June 2012)[5]
  • Paul Muscat (25 June 2012)[5]
  • Paul Slattery (25 June 2012)[5]
  • Joanne Tracey (5 March 2015)[6]
  • Jane Schammer (12 December 2016)[7]
  • Liesl Chapman (31 October 2017)[8]
  • Michael Durrant (28 February 2019)[9]
  • Jo-Anne Deuter (6 May 2019)[10]
  • Joana Fuller (10 December 2019)[11]
  • Michael Burnett (2 February 2020)[12]
  • Ian Press (20 January 2020)[13]
  • Karen Thomas (6 October 2020)[14]
  • Heath Barklay (1 November 2021)[15]
  • Anthony Allen (17 January 2022)[16]
  • Emily Telfer (24 January 2022)[17]
  • Kristopher Handshin (2 February 2023)[18]
  • Michelle Sutcliffe (2 February 2023)[19]
  • Nicolas Alexandrides (2 February 2023)[20]
  • Carmen Matteo (30 October 2023)[21]
  • Liesl Kudelka[2]
  • Anne Barnett (August 2024)[22][2]

Associates

  • Mark Blumberg[2]
  • Elizabeth Olsson[2]

Former judges

References

  1. ^ "Moore's Department Store / Sir Samuel Way Building". Adelaide City Explorer. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Our judiciary - CAA - District Court judicial officers". Courts Administration Authority. Archived from the original on 18 October 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  3. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette, 29 November 2016
  4. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette 12 October 2006
  5. ^ a b c The South Australian Government Gazette, 25 June 2012
  6. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette, 5 March 2015
  7. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  8. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  9. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  10. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  11. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  12. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  13. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  14. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  15. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  16. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  17. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  18. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  19. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  20. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  21. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  22. ^ a b "New Appointment To District Court 27 August". Mirage News. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  23. ^ "New District Court Judges : Judge Stretton : Judge Bampton". Bulletin (Law Society of South Australia) 32, no. 3 (2010): 26–27.
  24. ^ "Anne Bampton and Greg Parker appointed to the Supreme Court" (PDF). Attorney-General's Department. 14 November 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  25. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette, 4 February 2010
  26. ^ Companies Auditors and Liquidators Disciplinary Board: Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2010 (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. 2010. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-642-74545-3. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  27. ^ McClymont, Alison (1 December 2024). "Once 'hated, ignored and rejected', Judge Simon Stretton's punk rock band Black Chrome has found a cult following". ABC News. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  28. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette, 3 March 2016
  29. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
  30. ^ The South Australian Government Gazette
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