Court Processes

In order to understand the criminal law, it is important to understand the court processes involved in dealing with a criminal matter. These include pleading guilty, contesting a matter, applying for bail and going through a committal proceeding or voir dire.

Court processes also include initiating or responding to an appeal against a verdict or a sentence and establishing whether a defendant is fit to plead.

The Victorian criminal court hierarchy includes the Magistrates Court and Children’s Court and the County Court and Supreme Court. The Victorian Country Court is the equivalent of the District Courts in other states. The Supreme Court is the highest court in Victoria and its decisions can be appealed to the High Court of Australia with special leave from the High Court.

This section of the site contains information about court processes in Victoria.