The District Court of South Australia is South Australia's principal trial court. It was established as a court of record by the District Court Act 1991. Prior to that the Court had existed since 1969 under the Local and District Criminal Courts Act 1926.
Jurisdiction and appointment of judges Judges of the District Court are appointed by the Governor of South Australia on the advice of the Executive Council. Once appointed, they cannot be removed from office except by an address from both houses of the South Australian Parliament. They must retire when they reach the age of 70. Judges of the Employment Court, the Environment, Resources and Development Court, the Licensing Court and the Youth Court, as well as Masters of the Supreme Court, also formally hold office as District Court Judges. They are not listed on this page (except where they have also served as a District Court Judge).
The work of the Court is divided into four areas: civil, criminal, administrative and disciplinary, and criminal injuries. The District Court can hear most civil and criminal matters except for offences related to murder and treason. It also has jurisdiction over criminal injuries compensation claims. In the administrative and disciplinary division, the Court hears appeals from various government agencies, tribunals and disciplinary bodies. The Court is usually constituted of a single judge sitting alone or with a jury (in criminal trials only). In certain cases a judge may sit with two assessors who, with the judge, determine factual questions while the judge determines questions of law. For ceremonial occasions such as the swearing in of a new judge, the Court sits as a Full Court constituted of all available judges.
The main seat of the Court is the Sir Samuel Way Building in Victoria Square, Adelaide (which was originally the Charles Moore and Co. Department store). It also conducts circuits in Mount Gambier, Berri, Port Pirie, Whyalla and Port Lincoln (civil), and Mount Gambier and Port Augusta (criminal).
Current judges of the District Court Judges of the District Court of South Australia are: (Date of appointment appears in brackets)
Chief Judge Michael Greig Evans (20 December 2016)The South Australian Government Gazette, 29 November 2016
Judges
Rauf Soulio (12 October 2006)The South Australian Government Gazette 12 October 2006 Geraldine Davison (25 June 2012)The South Australian Government Gazette, 25 June 2012 Paul Muscat (25 June 2012) Paul Slattery (25 June 2012) Joanne Tracey (5 March 2015)The South Australian Government Gazette, 5 March 2015 Jane Schammer (12 December 2016)The South Australian Government Gazette Liesl Chapman (31 October 2017)The South Australian Government Gazette Michael Durrant (28 February 2019)The South Australian Government Gazette Jo-Anne Deuter (6 May 2019)The South Australian Government Gazette Joana Fuller (10 December 2019)The South Australian Government Gazette Michael Burnett (2 February 2020)The South Australian Government Gazette Ian Press (20 January 2020)The South Australian Government Gazette Karen Thomas (6 October 2020)The South Australian Government Gazette Heath Barklay (1 November 2021)The South Australian Government Gazette Anthony Allen (17 January 2022)The South Australian Government Gazette Emily Telfer (24 January 2022)The South Australian Government Gazette Kristopher Handshin (2 February 2023)The South Australian Government Gazette Michelle Sutcliffe (2 February 2023)The South Australian Government Gazette Nicolas Alexandrides (2 February 2023)The South Australian Government Gazette Carmen Matteo (30 October 2023)The South Australian Government Gazette Suzanne Joy Mackenzie (27 February 2025) Anne Barnett (August 2024) Lisa Dunlop (5 May 2025)South Australian Government Gazette, 10 April 2025 No. 22 p. 713
Associates Mark Blumberg Elizabeth Olsson
Former judges Anne Bampton was the first female master of the District Court, when appointed in 2010."New District Court Judges : Judge Stretton : Judge Bampton". Bulletin (Law Society of South Australia) 32, no. 3 (2010): 26–27. In 2013 she was appointed to the Supreme Court of South Australia. Simon Stretton, appointed on 4 February 2010,The South Australian Government Gazette, 4 February 2010 also a member of the punk band Black Chrome, retired in May 2024. Anne Barnett was appointed in his place in August 2024. Penelope Eldridge (3 March 2016)The South Australian Government Gazette, 3 March 2016 Liesl Kudelka (formerly Chapman) (31 October 2017) Anthony Rossi (13 May 2019)The South Australian Government Gazette Miles Crawley (7 December 2020)The South Australian Government Gazette
References
External links District Court information section and location link District Court of South Australia Judgments