JUSTICES ACT 1959

Table of Provisions

PART I - Preliminary

• 1 Short title and commencement
• 2 Repeals
• 3 Interpretation

PART II -

• 4 Section 4
• 4A Section 4A
• 4B Section 4B
• 4C Section 4C
• 5 Section 5
• 6 Section 6
• 7 Section 7
• 8 Section 8
• 9 Section 9
• 10 Section 10

PART III -

• 11 Section 11
• 12 Section 12
• 13 Section 13
• 14 Section 14
• 15 Section 15

PART IV - Clerks

• 16 Chief Clerk of Petty Sessions
• 16A Appointment of clerks, &c., of petty sessions
• 17 Clerks of petty sessions
• 17A Clerk of petty sessions to have care and custody of records of
court
• 18 Deputy clerks of petty sessions, &c.
• 19 Magistrate may discharge duties of the clerk of petty sessions
• 19A Section 19A

PART V - Jurisdiction

• 20 Hearing of complaints
• 21 Decision of 2 or more justices
• 22 Powers of magistrates
• 23 Powers of single justice
• 23A Time and place of sitting, &c., unrestricted
• 23AB Approval and roster of justices who may constitute courts of summary
jurisdiction, &c.
• 24 Summons or warrant not avoided by death, &c., of justice
• 25 Contempt

PART VI - General Procedure

• 26 Limitation on summary proceedings
• 27 Proceedings may be commenced by complaint
• 28 Complaint against several defendants
• 29 Only one matter of complaint: Procedure if otherwise
• 30 Statement of offences, &c.
• 31 Irregularities and amendments
• 32 Process on complaint
• 33 Apprehension of person summoned
• 34 Power of police officers, &c., to admit to bail
• 34A Procedure on arrest
• 35 Power of justice to admit person to bail
• 36 Section 36
• 36A Section 36A
• 36B Section 36B
• 37 Admission to courts of summary jurisdiction
• 37A Publication of accounts of certain proceedings
• 38 Representation of parties by counsel, &c.
• 39 Evidence: How taken
• 39A Appearance via audio or audio visual link
• 40 Prosecutor or complainant a competent witness
• 41 Justice may summon witnesses to attend and give evidence
• 42 Failure of witness to attend
• 43 Witness not answering
• 44 Production of documents before justices
• 45 Expenses of witnesses
• 46 Discharge of witness on recognizance
• 47 Place of committal when defendant on remand
• 48 Recognizances
• 49 Issue of warrant for non-appearance
• 50 Commitment
• 50A Justices' record
• 50B Adjournment of proceedings
• 50C Power to remand in certain cases
• 50D Vexatious litigants
• 50E Chief Clerk of Petty Sessions may make application under Vexatious
Proceedings Act 2011

PART VII - Proceedings on Indictable Offences Division 1 -

• 51 Certificate where indictment filed
• 52 Summons or warrant may be issued against person indicted
• 53 Committal
• 54 Detainer of prisoner in gaol

Division 2 - Examination and committal

• 55 Procedure when brought before justices
• 56 Duties during adjournment
• 56A Section 56A
• 57 Duty to provide further witness statements and summary of facts
• 57A Section 57A
• 58 Second appearance before justices for indictable offence: election and
plea
• 59 Entering plea and making election
• 60 Committal of defendant to Supreme Court

Division 3 - Preliminary proceedings

• 61 Interpretation
• 62 Preliminary proceedings orders
• 63 Proceedings on preliminary proceedings order generally
• 64 Preliminary proceedings to be in closed court
• 65 Affected persons at preliminary proceedings
• 66 Attendance of defendant and witnesses and production of documents
• 67 Guidance on preliminary proceedings
• 68 Conclusion of preliminary proceedings
• 69 Defendant may be committed to Supreme Court
• 69A Prohibition on publishing preliminary proceedings

Division 4 - Miscellaneous

• 70 Adjournment of proceedings
• 70A Ancillary orders

PART VIII - Crimes Triable Summarily

• 71 Petty crimes triable summarily
• 72 Other crimes triable summarily
• 72A Attempts triable summarily
• 72AB Perverting the course of justice triable summarily
• 72B Hearings under this Part
• 72C Limitation excluded

PART IX - Proceedings in Case of Simple Offences and Breaches of

• 72D Summons and complaint evidence in certain cases
• 73 Accessories
• 74 Attempts
• 74A Procedure where defendant not represented
• 74B Procedure on adjournment
• 74BA Discharge after conviction
• 74C Section 74C
• 74D Section 74D
• 75 Section 75
• 76 Section 76
• 76A Section 76A
• 77 Costs
• 77A Amount of costs
• 78 Section 78
• 79 Section 79
• 80 Section 80
• 81 Section 81
• 82 Section 82
• 83 Section 83
• 84 Section 84
• 85 Section 85
• 85A Section 85A
• 86 Section 86
• 87 Commitment in other cases
• 88 Section 88
• 89 Section 89
• 90 Section 90
• 91 Section 91
• 92 Section 92
• 92A Section 92A
• 92B Section 92B
• 92C Section 92C

PART X - Surety of the Peace

• 93 Power to require surety
• 94 How application for surety of the peace is to be made
• 95 How application is to be heard
• 96 Complaint to be dismissed if preferred from malice only and without
just cause of fear
• 97 If complaint reasonable defendant to be required to give security
• 98 Power of justice to order defendant to pay costs
• 99 Power of justice to commit defendant until he enters into the
required recognizance
• 100 Right of complainant to require defendant to be bound over to keep
the peace
• 101 Power to require convicted persons to give sureties of the peace in
addition to or in lieu of punishment
• 102 Power of justices, upon sufficient cause, to require persons to give
sureties of the peace where no complaint is made
• 103 Power to release persons imprisoned in default of finding sureties
if complainant dies
• 104 Recognizances not to be discharged by release from complainant
• 105 How recognizances of the peace may be forfeited
• 106 Execution of forfeiture

PART XA - Restraint Orders

• 106A Interpretation of Part XA
• 106B Restraint orders
• 106BA Powers of justices to make family violence orders after restraint
order applications made
• 106C Issue of warrants in respect of applications for restraint orders
• 106D Interim restraint orders
• 106DA Telephone interim restraint orders
• 106E Procedure in relation to hearing and determining applications under
this Part
• 106EA When order takes effect
• 106F Powers of justices to remand in custody, admit to bail, &c.
• 106G Variation, extension, and revocation of restraint orders
• 106GA Application for registration of external restraint order
• 106GB Registration of external restraint order
• 106GC Effect of registration of external restraint order
• 106GD Variation, &c., of registered external restraint order
• 106GE Access order prevails if inconsistency
• 106H Costs
• 106I Contravention of restraint order, &c.
• 106J Power of justices to make orders under this Part at hearing of
complaint for offence
• 106K Restriction of publication of names of parties, &c.
• 106L Power of police to enter certain premises
• 106M Rules for purposes of Part XA
• 106N Forms of application, restraint order, &c.

PART XI - Motions to Review, Appeals, and Similar Proceedings

Division 1 - Motions to review to the Supreme Court and hearings

• 107 Summary mode of reviewing decisions of justices
• 108 Applicant limited to grounds to be stated in notice to review
• 109 Interlocutory proceedings
• 110 Powers of Supreme Court
• 111 Hearings de novo
• 112 Right of justices to show cause
• 113 Affidavits

Division 2 - Appeals to, and review by, magistrates

• 113A Alternative appeals in certain cases
• 113B Review by magistrate

Division 3 - Stated case

• 114 Right of justices to state case

Division 4 - Rule to show cause

• 115 Rule to show cause and order thereon

Division 5 - General provisions

• 116 Interpretation
• 117 Limitation of this Part
• 117A Applications to justices for relief
• 118 Proceedings not to be quashed for want of form
• 119 Amendment of convictions, &c.
• 120 Want of complaint or summons
• 121 Distribution of penalty
• 121A Section 121A
• 122 Power of court or judge to admit to bail
• 123 Appeals to Full Court
• 123A Bail where appeal to Full Court
• 124 Rules of court
• 125 Costs on appeal

Division 6 -

• 125A Section 125A
• 125B Section 125B
• 125C Section 125C
• 125D Section 125D

PART XII - Protection of Justices in the Execution of Their Office

• 126 Action for act done within jurisdiction as a justice
• 127 Action for act done without or in excess of jurisdiction
• 128 No action maintainable for exercise of discretion, &c.
• 129 Setting aside of proceedings when prohibited action brought
• 130 Notice of action
• 131 Where action may be brought
• 132 Where plaintiff does not recover damages beyond amount tendered,
judgment to be for defendant
• 133 Damages
• 134 Costs

PART XIII - Miscellaneous

• 135 Warrant not to be void for form only
• 136 Protection of defective or irregular execution
• 136A Recording of depositions and proceedings
• 137 Fees
• 138 Power to order delivery of possession of goods in custody of police
officer
• 139 Prisoner to be present for statement under Evidence Act 2001
• 140 Section 140
• 140A Section 140A
• 140B Section 140B
• 141 Payment of fees
• 142 Accounts to be kept
• 143 Appropriation of penalties and fees
• 143A Savings provisions
• 144 Rules of court
• 145 Regulations
• 146 Transitional provision: rules and regulations
• 147 Transitional provisions consequent on Justices Amendment Act 2007
SCHEDULE 1 SCHEDULE 2 SCHEDULE 3

[ Note: This table has been automatically generated and may be incomplete. ]