About the Childrens Court of Queensland (District Court)

The Childrens Court (District Court) handles cases involving juveniles (children under 18 years old) who commit criminal offences. In some cases, the court may decide to send the matter to an adult court.

Judges in the Childrens Court (District Court) are appointed from the District Court.

Cases involving children can also be heard in the Magistrates Court or Supreme Court. All cases are managed under the Childrens Court Act 1992 and the Youth Justice Act 1992.

Types of cases

Most Childrens Court (District Court) cases are heard in an open court. However, the judge can order the court to be closed, meaning only people directly involved in the case can attend.

The court protects the identity of the accused. Unless the court allows it, no information that identifies the child can be published.

The Childrens Court (District Court) also hears the following types of cases:

Appeals against Child Protection Orders

• The Childrens Court (District Court) hears appeals against child protection orders made by magistrates.
• These orders are designed to protect children from harm.
• These cases are held in a closed court.

Parentage orders and discharge of parentage orders

• The Surrogacy Act 2010 governs non-commercial surrogacy arrangements.
• The court can approve the transfer of parentage for a child born through surrogacy under specific conditions.
• Legal advice is required for all parties before entering a surrogacy arrangement.
• The Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 and the Uniform Civil Procedure (Fee) Regulation 2009 apply to these cases as they do in the District Court.

Applications under the Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa Act 2020

This Act recognises Ailan Kastom (Torres Strait Islander traditional child-rearing practices).

A Cultural Recognition Order transfers parentage from the biological parents to the cultural parents, aligning the child’s legal identity with their cultural identity.

Applications for these orders are decided by the Commissioner (Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa).

Some decisions under this Act can only be made by the Childrens Court (District Court), not the Commissioner. A guide (PDF, 179.9 KB) is available to help parties understand which applications are heard by the court and where to get legal advice.

Cases heard in an adult court

In some situations, cases involving children may be heard in the adult District Court of Queensland. This happens if:

• the child is charged as an adult
• the case is transferred to the District Court under the Youth Justice Act 1992, such as when a child is co-accused with an adult.

Contact us

More information

• Read about Going to court as a child
• Childrens Court resources and legislation