About the Land Court

The Land Court is a specialised judicial tribunal and court of record, established under the Land Court Act 2000.

The Land Court comprises a president and other members. Unlike judges, who have life tenure, members of the Land Court are appointed for 15 year terms. Judicial registrars may also be appointed as officers of the court to perform certain functions.

Hearings in the Land Court are usually presided over by a single member sitting alone. The judicial registrar may also hear and decide certain matters, though he is responsible mainly for the court’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes, including preliminary conferences and court supervised mediations.

The Land Court may sit anywhere in Queensland. Normally a case is heard in the district where the land that is the subject of the dispute is located. Sittings are held in Brisbane and, where appropriate, rural and regional areas of Queensland.

The Land Court operates with as little formality as possible. The strict rules of evidence don’t apply and the Land Court acts according to equity, good conscience and the substantial merits of the case.

The Land Court encourages ADR and provides these services free of cost.

Land Court procedures are covered by the Land Court Act 2000, the Land Court Rules 2000 and various practice directions. The Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 may also apply where the Land Court Rules don’t cover the field.

Below are links to more information about the Land Court:

History of the Land Court

How the Land Court has evolved, from its origins to the present day, and where to find more information

Membership

The current members and judicial registrar of the Land Court, and members of the Land Appeal Court

Jurisdiction

Legislation that gives jurisdiction to the Land Court and Land Appeal Court

Resources

Annual reports of the Land Court and Aboriginal Land Tribunal, and reviews of valuation cases

Complaints policy and procedure

Process for bringing complaints about judicial conduct to the appropriate person

Complaints about the President of the Land Court of Queensland

Process for bringing complaints about the President of the Land Court of Queensland to the appropriate person.