The Brisbane Supreme Court

The Brisbane Supreme Court is the highest court in Queensland, dealing with appeals from Magistrates and District courts, as well as serious offences such as murder, manslaughter and serious drug offences [Woodgate et al (2007), p.114]. This was evident on the day, with cases including murder, drug trafficking and robbery.

Whilst attending the Supreme Court, a case involving a man accused of attempted robbery, assault and bodily harm was observed. One of the striking details of the courtroom was the formality, mainly the way the judicial participants dressed and spoke. Proceedings began by the Judge gathering as much information as possible from the Crown Prosecutor and the Defence, regarding the case. The Judge was constantly taking notes and then conferring with the prosecutor or defence team, in order to ensure no detail was missed or misinterpreted. A stenographer recorded all verbal communication in the court. These proceedings were only viewed for 45 minutes, and therefore only provided a snapshot of the beginning of the case to be tried.