New Local Court rules in relation to Covid19 came into effect earlier this month, and include all Local Court sittings, including criminal and civil cases.
At the height of the pandemic, many court matters were being handled ‘remotely' that is via technology – by telephone or email or audio-visual link (AVL) as people were discouraged from actually attending court in person. The new rules show that this is changing. Small claims and other general civil matters are still being dealt with remotely, but anyone charged with a criminal offence, is expected to attend in person, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
People attending the Local Court must wear a fitted face covering / mask, where directed by a presiding magistrate. Any exceptions will be considered by the presiding magistrate.
