The Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory is the highest court of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters and hears the most serious criminal cases.
The court has the jurisdictional power to hear matters that relate to the Jervis Bay Territory, the Australian Antarctic Territory and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands, although it has never heard a case exercising its power over the Heard and McDonald Islands. It also hears matters on appeal from the Magistrates Court of the Australian Capital Territory.
Whilst the Supreme Court is the highest Australian Capital Territory court in the Australian court hierarchy, an appeal by special leave can be made to the High Court of Australia. Matters of appeal can also be submitted to the ACT Court of Appeal, which is constituted by members of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court consists of 5 permanent judges, including the chief justice of the Australian Capital Territory (, Lucy McCallum), 1 associate judge, 11 additional judges and 4 acting judges. The court has three main administrative units: Registry, Sheriff's Office and the Russell Fox Library. The Commonwealth soon began the implementation of a series of ordinances for the Territory's governance.
Following the establishment of self-government in 1989, the court remained under Commonwealth administration until its transfer to the ACT Government on 1 July 1992, when the came into effect.
It was announced in 2017 that the ACT Law Courts building would be expanded as the Supreme Court was experience capacity issues. In 2019, stage one of the renovations were completed. Not only did the renovations bring the Magistrates Court and the Supreme Court into the same building, it added several new courtrooms and modernised facilities.
All judges are appointed by the Territory government. Acting judges are judges appointed on a temporary basis, for a maximum of one year at a time. An appeal from the associate judge or from a single judge is heard by the court sitting as the ACT Court of Appeal constituted by three judges.
Membership
Chief Justice
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! Name !! Date appointed !! Term in office !! Notes
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| Chief Justice Lucy McCallum
| 8 March 2022
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Judges
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! Name !! Date appointed !! Term in office
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| Justice David Mossop
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| Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson
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| Justice Belinda Baker
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| Justice Verity McWilliam
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| Justice Louise Taylor
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Associate Judge
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! Name !! Date appointed !! Term in office
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| vacant
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Process
Civil matters may be commenced by the filing of an originating application or originating process.
Criminal matters are commenced when they persons are committed to trial or sentence by the Magistrates Court of the Australian Capital Territory.
Appeals to the court may come from several sources including the Magistrates Court and the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal.