Civil matters

These include:

• claims for damages for personal injury
• breach of contract
• professional negligence
• possession of land
• defamation.

Certain types of cases, such as defamation and professional negligence, are dealt with in specialised lists to enable judges to supervise their progress to trial. Other matters are subject to general case management.

Criminal matters

Judges preside over criminal trials for the most serious offences. Criminal matters include:

• murder and manslaughter
• attempted murder
• major conspiracy and drug related charges
• Commonwealth prosecutions for the more serious breaches of the Corporations Law.

The Supreme Court can also hear bail applications in relation to cases in the Court or in other Courts. On such applications, the Court will consider a person's entitlement to bail and any conditions which should be attached to it.

Administrative law matters

These cases involve a legal challenge to decisions of Government Ministers, officials and organisations. The Court may make orders requiring official duties to be performed, decision-making to be properly carried out, or may restrain illegal or invalid administrative action.