JUSTICE JOURNEY – INFORMATION ABOUT GOING TO COURT
THE COURTROOM – DISTRICT AND SUPREME COURTS (sheet 3 of 9)
2012
What does a courtroom look like?
(Original sheet has a picture of a District/Supreme courtroom with the following people)
Who is who at court?
Accused Person
The accused person is the person who was arrested and charged for the crime. The accused will usually
sit in a section called the dock, or behind the bar table.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
Some witnesses can give evidence by CCTV from a remote location.
Court Reporter/Monitor
Court staff record audio of the hearing and some write down or type what is being said.
Court Officer
Court Officers help the Judge and people coming into the courtroom. Some court staff help with the
paperwork and direct people to where to sit inside the courtroom. Court staff give the oath or affirmation
to the witnesses, which is a promise to tell the truth.
Defence Barrister
The Defence Barrister is the solicitor or barrister representing the accused person. There are sometimes
several Defence Barristers representing the accused person. In the District and Supreme Courts the
Defence Barrister may wear a wig and gown.
Interpreter
Sometimes an interpreter will help a witness or the accused person to understand what is being said by
translating the question and answer into another language. Interpreters are arranged by the court.
Judge’s Associate
A person who helps the Judge in court with documents used in the case, such as exhibits.
Judge
In the District Court and Supreme Court, the judicial officer is called a Judge. The Judge wears a wig and
black or red gown. You call a judicial officer ‘Your Honour’ when you are in court. The Judge makes sure
the hearing is run fairly and if the accused person is found guilty they decide the penalty.
Jury
In the District Court and Supreme Court, usually there is a jury. The jury is 12 people from the community
who listen to the evidence. The jury decides whether the accused person is guilty or not guilty of each
charge.
Media
Sometimes, journalists from the media are allowed to sit and listen in court. The media are allowed to
write down what is said in court and sometimes will write this in the newspaper or report it on the news.
Crown Prosecutor
In the District and Supreme Court, the Crown Prosecutor is a solicitor or barrister from the Office of the
Director of Public Prosecutions. The Crown Prosecutor may wear a wig and gown. Prosecutors
represent the State in criminal cases.
Public Gallery
People from the community are sometimes allowed to watch and listen in court. They sit at the back of
the court in a section called the public gallery. People in the public gallery are not allowed to talk or
interrupt the court. If the court is closed, no one will be allowed to sit in the public gallery.
Sheriff’s Officer
The Sheriff’s Officer is responsible for security at the court. The Sheriff’s Officer will sometimes scan
people when they come to court. This is to check for anything that is not allowed in court.
Support Person
Sometimes a witness will have a support person who can sit near them in the courtroom. The support
person doesn’t answer the questions being asked by the prosecutor or defence and cannot help the
witness to answer the questions.
Witness
The witness is a person who knows something about the case.
The prosecutor and the defence ask the witness questions about what they know. Witnesses are not
allowed to talk about the case to other witnesses.