| District Court of South Australia | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The Sir Samuel Way Building, the main seat of the District Court of South Australia | |
 | |
| 34°55′47″S138°35′56″E / 34.929777°S 138.598805°E /-34.929777; 138.598805 | |
| Established | 1969 |
| Jurisdiction |  South Australia |
| Location | Adelaide |
| Coordinates | 34°55′47″S138°35′56″E / 34.929777°S 138.598805°E /-34.929777; 138.598805 |
| Composition method | Vice-regal appointment upon nomination by thePremier following the advice of theAttorney General and Executive Council of South Australia |
| Authorised by | Parliament of South Australia via the:District Court Act 1991 (SA) |
| Appeals to | Supreme Court of South Australia |
| Judge term length | Mandatory retirement by age of 70 |
| Website | District Court information section and location link |
| Chief Judge of the District Court | |
| Currently | Michael Evans |
| Since | 20 Dec 2016 |
TheDistrict Court of South Australia isSouth Australia's principal trial court. It was established as acourt of record by theDistrict Court Act 1991. Prior to that the Court had existed since 1969 under theLocal and District Criminal Courts Act 1926.
Judges of the District Court are appointed by theGovernor of South Australia on the advice of theExecutive Council. Once appointed, they cannot be removed from office except by an address from both houses of theSouth Australian Parliament. They must retire when they reach the age of 70. Judges of theEmployment Court, theEnvironment, Resources and Development Court, the Licensing Court and the Youth Court, as well asMasters of theSupreme 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 hearsappeals from variousgovernment 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 twoassessors 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 inVictoria Square,Adelaide (which was originally the Charles Moore and Co. Department store).[1] It also conducts circuits inMount Gambier,Berri,Port Pirie,Whyalla andPort Lincoln (civil), andMount Gambier andPort Augusta (criminal).
Judges of the District Court of South Australia as of December 2024[update] are:[2] (Date of appointment appears in brackets)