Sexual violence case management – District Court
Sexual offence proceedings
Practice Direction 3 of 2024 has been released outlining a changed approach to sexual offence proceedings in the District Court of Queensland.
The Practice Direction details best practice principles to be applied to all sexual offence matters and introduces a new case management protocol in the Brisbane and Ipswich District Courts.
This Practice Direction should be read in conjunction with the accompanying information notice .
The Practice Direction will commence on 2 September 2024.
The Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce called for a change in how the District Court manages sexual offence proceedings. The new protocol introduces a case management approach to better manage sexual offence proceedings by supporting early identification and resolution of issues, minimising delays to the Court process and by providing greater certainty and improving the experience for all court users.
Information sessions
To support practitioners in preparing for implementation, the Court held an information session on 15 August 2024 in Brisbane. Watch this seminar.
Mediated case conference
Where the Court has ordered that parties participate in a Mediated Case Conference, parties are to confer to determine a suitable date. Available dates and times of the Case Conference Registrar can be viewed and booked here.
The Prosecution are to provide a draft trial plan for the Mediated Case Conference. A sample trial plan is available for reference here .
If the parties reach agreement on an issue(s) during a Mediated Case Conference, and if the parties elect, that agreement can be reduced to writing, certified by counsel and filed as draft Orders by Consent to be signed in chambers.
If providing draft Orders to the Court, the Orders must:
- be in Microsoft Word format;
- be comprehensive, adapted to the particular case, and specify dates for compliance with each step set out in the order; and
- contain a provision to the effect that, in the event of any default in compliance with the order, the defaulting party must, within seven days of the default, notify the Case Manager of the noncompliance.
To contact the Case Conference Registrar email Conference.Registrar_DC@justice.qld.gov.au
Self-represented defendants
If you are going to Court because you have been charged with a criminal offence, you are known as the ‘defendant’. If you do not have a lawyer representing you or you have chosen to represent yourself, you are known as a ‘self-represented defendant’.
The Prosecutor will provide you with a hard copy of the Case Management Form that you will need to read and complete.
You may also like to view and download a copy of the Case Management Factsheet .
Legal practitioner forms
Parties are required to complete and submit the Case Review Form at least five (5) business day prior to the Case Review Hearing.
Parties are required to complete and submit the Trial Readiness Form at least five (5) business day prior to the Trial Readiness Hearing.
Sexual violence case managers
Case managers are the main point of contact for matters on the Sexual Violence List.
They can provide the following information:
- briefly explain and answer questions about how the Court works, and its practices and procedures;
- provide Court listing availability and information on how to get a Court matter listed;
- give you information about how your Court matter is managed and the processes involved in each step to a hearing;
- give you contact details for organisations that may be able to give you free or low cost legal advice or assistance; and
- give you contact details or organisations that may be able to give you emotional support or counselling.
The Case Managers can be contacted at:
Brisbane: SexualViolenceList.Brisbane@justice.qld.gov.au
Ipswich: SexualViolenceList.Ipswich@justice.qld.gov.au
Enquiries
For general enquiries email SV.Case.Reform@justice.qld.gov.au