Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
30 May 1911 – 1 February 1927
Renamed Supreme Court of North Australia in 1927.
The superior court of the Northern Territory in the first years of Commonwealth administration, sitting at Darwin with a single judge and holding all the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of South Australia within the territory.
Names over time
- Supreme Court of the Northern Territory1911–1927
- Supreme Court of North Australia1927–1931
- Supreme Court of the Northern Territory1931–1979
How it came into existence
Constituted on 30 May 1911 by the Commonwealth's Supreme Court Ordinance 1911, five months after the territory passed from South Australia to the Commonwealth, with all the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of South Australia and a registry at Darwin. Its first judge was Samuel James Mitchell. It had no Commonwealth predecessor.
Legislation: Supreme Court Ordinance 1911 (Northern Territory)
Changes during its life
- 14 November 1916Administration of the Northern Territory passed from the Department of External Affairs to the new Department of Home and Territories.
How it ended
Continued from 1 February 1927 as the Supreme Court of North Australia, when the Northern Australia Act 1926 divided the territory; a Supreme Court of Central Australia was created for the southern part.
- Superior jurisdiction south of latitude 20° S
- Superior jurisdiction north of latitude 20° S
Main functions
- Superior civil and criminal jurisdiction in the Northern Territory
- Trial of serious criminal offences
Where it sits
Last in the portfolio of Department of Home and Territories.
Lineage
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Sources
Government records and websites
Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.