Supreme Court of Victoria

The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in Victoria and is divided into the Court of AppealAn appeal is when a higher court reviews the decision made by a lower court. If an appeal is successful, the higher court can change the lower court’s decision or order the lower court to hear the matter again. More and the Trial Division.

The Trial Division mainly deals with serious criminal and civil cases.

It has original jurisdiction‘Original jurisdiction’ gives a court authority to hear a case first.  This means that if you have a legal issue and you want to take it to court, your first attempt must be at the court with ‘Original Jurisdiction’ over the issue. Note: ‘Original jurisdiction’ can also be called ‘first instance jurisdiction.’ More over:

• Major criminal matters
• Murder; attempted murder; and manslaughter
• Treason – crimes against a country (government)
• Civil cases – claims exceeding $200,000 or that are too complex for the County Court
• Procedural matters – dealing with the will of someone who has died; and urgent injunctionA court order which directs someone either to do, or to refrain from doing, a particular thing. An injunction may be interim (operative until further order) or perpetual (continuing indefinitely). More applications
• Intellectual Property issues – copyrightThe rights belonging to the owner or licensee of literary, artistic and dramatic works, films and sound recordings, to reproduce, perform or otherwise deal with these works. More, trademarks, designs, and circuit layouts
• Judicial reviewReview by a court of an adminis­trative act (q.v.) on the basis of fault in the decision-making process. Compare: review on the merits. More – for example whether a government decision was made legally.
• Corporations law

For more information see:

• Government and the Individual (challenging or complaining about government decisions)
• Supreme Court of Victoria
• Supreme Court Act 1986 (Vic)
• Appealing a Supreme Court decision