11. Place of hearing

11. Place of hearing

(1) A criminal proceeding in the Magistrates' Court is to be heard at the venue of the court that is nearest to-

(a) the place where the offence is alleged to have been committed; or

(b) the place of residence of the accused-

except where otherwise provided by this or any other Act or by a nomination
under subsection (2).

Note

Part 2 of the Magistrates' Court Act 1989 sets out the special requirements for matters that may be heard in the various Divisions of the Magistrates' Court: the Drug Court Division, the Koori Court Division, the Family Violence Court Division and the Neighbourhood Justice Division.

(2) The Chief Magistrate may from time to time, by notice published in the Government Gazette, nominate a venue of the Magistrates' Court as a venue for the hearing of a specified criminal proceeding or a specified class of criminal proceeding.

(3) A criminal proceeding in the Magistrates' Court is not invalid only because it was conducted at a venue of the court other than the venue referred to in subsection (1) or nominated under subsection (2).