IMPACTS OF COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) TO THE LEGAL SYSTEM
Please use the menus below for information about how your legal matters may be affected.
It is important that we have up to date contact details for you during this time as arrangements are constantly changing. Please consider providing a mobile telephone number and an email address as posted correspondence may be delayed.
It is important that we have up to date contact details for you during this time as arrangements are constantly changing. Please consider providing a mobile telephone number and an email address as posted correspondence may be delayed.
cRIMINAL LAW - MAGISTRATES COURT
General list and first return hearings: The first return and general lists for many Magistrates courts will be vacated. If you have a general court date, you may get a new court date. Re-listings will mostly occur as follows:
If your matter has not been to court yet, you will get a letter from SA Police with your new court date.
If you have an upcoming court date, please check with me before attending.
Guilty pleas: If your matter gets re-listed but you want to plead guilty, we will be allowed to bring your court date forward.
Pre-trial conferences & trials: Will continue as normal where possible.
Major indictable matters: Will continue as normal.
Family violence matters: Will continue as normal.
Overnight custody lists and bail applications: Will continue as normal
Circuit courts: Will be conducted by telephone
Defendants who are not in custody but who still have court in April, May or June may be able to link in via telephone instead of attending court. Please contact me if you have an upcoming court date to confirm how you should participate.
The Courts Administration Authority website can be viewed here
- Listings from April will go to July.
- Listings from May will go to August.
- Listings from June will go to September.
If your matter has not been to court yet, you will get a letter from SA Police with your new court date.
If you have an upcoming court date, please check with me before attending.
Guilty pleas: If your matter gets re-listed but you want to plead guilty, we will be allowed to bring your court date forward.
Pre-trial conferences & trials: Will continue as normal where possible.
Major indictable matters: Will continue as normal.
Family violence matters: Will continue as normal.
Overnight custody lists and bail applications: Will continue as normal
Circuit courts: Will be conducted by telephone
Defendants who are not in custody but who still have court in April, May or June may be able to link in via telephone instead of attending court. Please contact me if you have an upcoming court date to confirm how you should participate.
The Courts Administration Authority website can be viewed here
CRIMINAL LAW - DISTRICT COURT
Criminal law - youth court
These matters are proceeding as normal. However, youth defendants may be able to link in by telephone rather than attending court.
Please contact me if you have an upcoming court date to confirm how you should participate.
The Courts Administration Authority website can be viewed here
Please contact me if you have an upcoming court date to confirm how you should participate.
The Courts Administration Authority website can be viewed here
FAMILY LAW - FEDERAL CIRCUIT COURT
Hearings: Most court hearings and events will be done by telephone, and if possible, through video-conferencing options. Some non-urgent matters may be postponed. Only a very limited number and type of matter will be dealt with by face-to-face hearings or interviews. Court users will be notified prior to their court date whether their court event has been adjourned or will be facilitated by telephone.
Child Dispute Conferences/Child Inclusive Conferences: Child Dispute Conferences (CDCs) will be conducted by telephone or videoconferencing. Existing orders for Child Inclusive Conferences will proceed as if a Child Dispute Conference (a conference not involving the children) had been ordered instead and will occur by telephone or videoconferencing.
Children’s Contact Services: The CCS is no longer available for handovers. If this impacts you, please contact me ASAP so we can arrange suitable alternatives. The CCS is still conducting supervised time.
Family Law Conferences (Mediations): The Legal Services Commission has advised that all Family Dispute Resolution Conferences will occur by telephone. You will need to ensure that you are in a private room for the entirety of the conference.
Family Reports: Interviews with adult parties will be conducted via telephone (or video). Adult parties will be contacted by court personnel to make these arrangements. Meetings with children will be conducted consistent with the court’s recently adopted Face-to-face Protocol as far as possible.
Please contact me if you have an upcoming court-ordered appointment to confirm how you should participate.
The Federal Circuit Court website can be viewed here
Child Dispute Conferences/Child Inclusive Conferences: Child Dispute Conferences (CDCs) will be conducted by telephone or videoconferencing. Existing orders for Child Inclusive Conferences will proceed as if a Child Dispute Conference (a conference not involving the children) had been ordered instead and will occur by telephone or videoconferencing.
Children’s Contact Services: The CCS is no longer available for handovers. If this impacts you, please contact me ASAP so we can arrange suitable alternatives. The CCS is still conducting supervised time.
Family Law Conferences (Mediations): The Legal Services Commission has advised that all Family Dispute Resolution Conferences will occur by telephone. You will need to ensure that you are in a private room for the entirety of the conference.
Family Reports: Interviews with adult parties will be conducted via telephone (or video). Adult parties will be contacted by court personnel to make these arrangements. Meetings with children will be conducted consistent with the court’s recently adopted Face-to-face Protocol as far as possible.
Please contact me if you have an upcoming court-ordered appointment to confirm how you should participate.
The Federal Circuit Court website can be viewed here
CARE AND PROTECTION (CHILD WELFARE/DCP) - YOUTH COURT
These matters are proceeding as normal. There may be changes to face to face contact between parents and children. If you have concerns about how this may impact you, please contact our office.
The Courts Administration Authority website can be viewed here
The Courts Administration Authority website can be viewed here
CHANGES TO OUR SERVICE
The health and wellbeing of our clients, staff and community are of utmost importance to us. To ensure we are doing our bit to reduce the spread, we have made changes to the way we provide our service to you.
Please be assured that we have the technology available to continue acting for you without interruption.
All of our appointments will be conducted via video link and/or telephone where possible. If an in-person appointment is required for the signing of documents that must be witnessed, that appointment will be limited to the signing of those documents only. Any discussions about those documents will be completed prior to the appointment via electronic means and an appointment for signing will not be made until we are sure the document is in its final form.
We ask that if you meet any of the following criteria, you cancel any in-person appointments and remain at home:
We encourage you to ensure that we have your up to date contact details including an email address so that we can contact you in a timely manner as the situation continues to develop.
Please be assured that we have the technology available to continue acting for you without interruption.
All of our appointments will be conducted via video link and/or telephone where possible. If an in-person appointment is required for the signing of documents that must be witnessed, that appointment will be limited to the signing of those documents only. Any discussions about those documents will be completed prior to the appointment via electronic means and an appointment for signing will not be made until we are sure the document is in its final form.
We ask that if you meet any of the following criteria, you cancel any in-person appointments and remain at home:
- displaying symptoms such as a sore throat, cough, fever or breathlessness;
- have been overseas within the past 14 days;
- have had contact in the past 14 days with:
- any confirmed cases of covid-19;
- anyone who has been overseas within the 14 days prior to your contact with them;
- anyone displaying symptoms such as sore throat, cough, fever or breathlessness.
We encourage you to ensure that we have your up to date contact details including an email address so that we can contact you in a timely manner as the situation continues to develop.
COMPLYING WITH COURT ORDERS AND BAIL AGREEMENTS
Covid-19 is not an excuse for not following court orders or not complying with bail. If you genuinely cannot follow the existing court orders or bail agreements, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss how to proceed.
getting in touch
If you would like to speak with us further about this or any other matter, please book online using the option to the right of this screen.
