County Court of Victoria

County Court of Victoria
Emblem of the County Court (left),
Coat of Arms of Victoria (right)
Country Court building, William Street
Map
37°48′48″S 144°57′27″E / 37.8132°S 144.9575°E / -37.8132; 144.9575
Established1852
Jurisdiction Victoria
LocationHeadquartered in Melbourne, with 12 circuit courts located in Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Horsham, Mildura, Morwell, Sale, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Warrnambool and Wodonga
Coordinates37°48′48″S 144°57′27″E / 37.8132°S 144.9575°E / -37.8132; 144.9575
Composition methodAppointed by Governor on the advice of the Executive Council
Authorised byCounty Court Act 1958 (Vic)
Appeals toSupreme Court of Victoria
Appeals fromMagistrates' Court of Victoria
Judge term lengthMandatory retirement by age 70
Websitewww.countycourt.vic.gov.au
Chief Judge
CurrentlyPeter Kidd
Since8 September 2015

The County Court of Victoria is the intermediate court in the Australian state of Victoria. It is equivalent to district courts in the other states.

The County Court is the principal trial court in the state, having a broad criminal and civil jurisdiction. The court hears indictable offences (with the exception of murder, manslaughter, and treason), and has unlimited civil jurisdiction, though it generally only hears cases where the statement of claim exceeds the Magistrates' Court limit of $100,000. The court also possesses appellate jurisdiction for cases from the Magistrates' Court, while decisions of the County Court may be appealed to the Supreme Court.

With approximately 70 sitting judges, the court hears up to 12,000 cases annually. Peter Kidd was named Chief Judge of the County Court on 8 September 2015.


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