| District Court of Western Australia | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The District Court building in Perth | |
 | |
| Established | 1 Apr 1970 |
| Jurisdiction |  Western Australia |
| Location | Headquartered in Perth with 12 country registries located in Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Busselton, Carnarvon, Derby, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Kununurra, and South Hedland. |
| Composition method | Governor appointed by the recommendation of Cabinet. |
| Authorized by | Parliament of Western Australia via the: District Court Act 1969 (WA) |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of Western Australia |
| Appeals from | Magistrates Court of Western Australia |
| Judge term length | Mandatory retirement by age of 70 |
| Website | https://districtcourt.wa.gov.au/ |
| Chief Judge | |
| Currently | Julie Anne Wager |
| Since | 2 May 2020 |
The District Court of Western Australia is the intermediate court in Western Australia. The District Court commenced in 1970, amid additional stress placed on the existing Magistrates Court and Supreme Court due to the increasing population of Western Australia.[1] At its inception, the Court consisted of four judges: Sydney Howard Good, William Page Pidgeon, Desmond Charles Heenan and Robert Edmond Jones.[2]
In the Criminal jurisdiction it hears serious, indictable criminal offences for which the maximum penalty is 25 years imprisonment.In the Civil jurisdiction, the District Court hears civil claims of up to $750 000 and has unlimited jurisdiction in claims for damages in personal injury cases.Decisions from the Magistrates Court and some tribunals can be appealed against in the District Court. The court is low in the Australian court hierarchy.
The current Chief Judge of the District Court is Julie Anne Wager, who has held the position since 2 May 2020.[3]
- ^ Wager, J. (2021). History of the District Court of Western Australia. Brief, 48(2), 10–15.
- ^ "Past Judges". Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ^ "Judges". Retrieved 19 August 2020.