The Court is made up of the following key areas.
Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal hears appeals of criminal or civil cases decided in the County Court or Supreme Court Trial Division, and some from the Magistrates’ Court and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Common Law Division
The Common Law Division deals with a wide range of civil claims and appeals on questions of law from other courts and tribunals. Cases are managed within specialist lists.
Commercial Court
The Commercial Court hears complex commercial disputes and delivers intensive case management by judges with commercial expertise. Cases are managed within specialist lists.
Criminal Division
The Criminal Division deals with the most serious criminal cases in Victoria, including offences involving treason, murder, attempted murder and other major criminal matters.
Costs Court
The Costs Court hears and determines matters relating to costs arising from court proceedings, as well as costs disputes between legal practitioners and their clients.
Associate Judges
Associate judges hear and resolve a range of applications in the Common Law Division and Commercial Court.
Making an urgent application
The Supreme Court will hear genuinely urgent applications. These are matters which must be heard and determined within a very short period of time, typically two business days.
The Practice Court hears Common Law Division urgent applications, and the occasional out-of-hours criminal application which cannot wait until the next business day.
The Duty Judge hears Commercial Court urgent applications where there is no Managing Judge to hear the application.
While the urgent application processes for each division are quite similar, practitioners should commence an urgent application by selecting the relevant division and providing the required information. The Court will determine whether the matter is truly urgent, and confirm whether the matter is being heard in the correct division.
Where the Court considers it appropriate, arrangements can be made to hear applications which arise outside the Court’s business hours (Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm), or on a weekend or public holiday.
For more information about how to make an urgent application, refer: Urgent Applications - Practice Court (Common Law)
For more information about how to make an urgent application, refer: Commercial Court.
For more information about how to make an urgent application, refer: Criminal Division