Who is who and where is what?

20.1The room

Layout

Courtrooms vary, but the structure is the same everywhere. The diagram shows a typical Local Court layout and where you will be at each stage.

20.2The people

Roles

The Judge sits at the bench, hears the matter, and makes the decision. Your Honour, always.

The court officer runs the list, calls names, and passes documents to the bench. Everything you tender goes to the court officer, not to the Judge directly.

The prosecutor, a police officer in uniform or a Police Prosecutions lawyer, sits at one end of the bar table. At your sentence they will read the facts sheet aloud or hand it up, tell the Judge your record, and may say a sentence or two about penalty. They are not your opponent in a fight, but they are not neutral either.

The associate or monitor sits below the bench, operates the recording, and manages exhibits. You will rarely speak to them.

Sheriff's officers keep order. If a sheriff's officer tells you to do something, do it.

The duty solicitor is somewhere in the building, not in the room. Lesson 24 explains how to reach them if you need to.

20.3The wait

Using the time

Your matter may be called at 9:45 or at 2:30. Sit in the gallery, read your submissions once, and then watch. Watching three or four matters before yours teaches you more about the Judge you have drawn than anything in this course: how they speak to self-represented people, what questions they ask, how they react to references. Adjust your submissions to what you see. If the Judge asks everyone how often they were using, have your answer ready.

If the list breaks for lunch at 1:00 and you have not been called, you come back at 2:00. Do not leave the precinct for longer than that.