County Court of Victoria

The County Court of Victoria is the intermediate court in the Australian state of Victoria, equivalent to the district courts of the other states. It is the principal trial court in the state, with broad criminal and civil jurisdiction. It hears indictable offences except murder, manslaughter and treason, and has unlimited civil jurisdiction, though it generally hears cases only where the claim exceeds the Magistrates Court limit. It also hears appeals from the Magistrates Court, while its own decisions may be appealed to the Supreme Court. With about 70 sitting judges, it hears up to 12,000 cases a year. The court was first established in 1852 by the County Courts Act 1852, modelled on the British county courts of 1846, and originally handled small civil claims. Its judges sit across the Criminal, Commercial and Common Law divisions, hear cases at 12 regional locations in addition to Melbourne, and also sit as heads of jurisdiction in the Magistrates, Coroners and Children Courts. The County Koori Court, created under the County Court Amendment (Koori Court) Act 2008, brings Aboriginal Elders into the sentencing process.