How will it work?
From July 2025, regional bail courts will operate under the following structure:
- Establishment of six virtual courtrooms, with a seventh planned;
- Instructions to be taken from a defendant in a police station or corrective services holding cell by a lawyer virtually using AVL technology;
- Defendants to appear in court from where they are held virtually by AVL
- Prosecutors to appear in court from the region they are from, via AVL
- Magistrates to appear in court via AVL The implementation of a regional hub-based model means that lawyers from the region where the defendant will be held in custody will generally be allocated the work. The work is shared between inhouse lawyers and private practitioners.
- The centralised courts will only hear:
- Matters following initial police bail refusals;
- Executed arrest warrants; and
- Detention applications.
- Other matters – including bail variations and future applications – will continue in the physical court where the case is listed.
Court locations for each hub
These are the hub locations that will operate from July 2025. They are subject to change without notice. We expect all NSW courts to be rolled into the scheme for all fresh bail matters by early 2026.
| Courtroom 1 | Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers Ballina, Byron Bay, Casino, Coffs Harbour, Forster, Grafton, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Maclean, Macksville, Mullumbimby, Murwillumbah, Port Macquarie, Taree, Tweed Heads, Wauchope. |
|---|---|
| Courtroom 2 | Newcastle and Greater Hunter Belmont, Broadmeadow, Cessnock, Dungog, Gloucester, Kurri Kurri, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Raymond Terrace, Scone, Singleton, Toronto. |
| Courtroom 3 | Southern Highlands and South Coast Albion Park, Batemans Bay, Bega, Cooma, Eden, Goulburn, Kiama, Milton, Moruya, Moss Vale, Narooma, Nowra, Picton, Port Kembla, Queanbeyan, Tumbarumba, Wollongong, Yass. |
| Courtroom 4 | Western NSW Bathurst, Blayney, Bourke, Brewarrina, Broken Hill, Cobar, Condobolin, Coonabarabran, Coonamble, Cowra, Dubbo, Forbes, Gilgandra, Katoomba, Lightning Ridge, Lithgow, Mudgee, Narromine, Nyngan, Oberon, Orange, Parkes, Rylstone, Walgett, Warren, Wellington, Wentworth, Wilcannia. |
| Courtroom 5 | Riverina and New England Albury, Armidale, Boggabilla, Cootamundra, Corowa, Deniliquin, Finley, Glen Innes, Griffith, Gundagai, Gunnedah, Hay, Hillston, Holbrook, Inverell, Junee, Lake Cargelligo, Leeton, Moama, Moree, Mungindi, Narrabri, Narrandera, Quirindi, Tamworth, Temora, Tenterfield, Tumut, Walcha, Wagga Wagga, Wee Waa, West Wyalong, Young. |
| Courtroom 6 | Central Coast and Inner Metro Gosford, Newtown, Waverley, Wyong. |
How will the courts be covered?
- Each office will roster their allocated shifts with a mix of inhouse and private practitioners from the new Virtual Bail scheme.
- Solicitors will service their whole hub, which may be a bigger region than they previously serviced.
- Solicitors who undertake work on these days will be remunerated for the whole day and cannot undertake work in any physical court on the same day.
- Solicitors are responsible for ensuring paperwork is sent to the relevant office for processing after the court matters are completed.
- Solicitors will appear remotely, and can appear from any location that has appropriate internet connection and AVL conferencing facilities.