Magistrates Court online Application for a Court Event

In Queensland, you must attend court on the date set by the court. To change the date set by the court, a lawyer or prosecuting agency can use the Online Application for a Court Event form to ask for an adjournment, to bring a matter forward and/or to seek a direction from the court. The form can only be used for adult and Childrens Court criminal matters before a Magistrates Court in Queensland.

When you can apply online

Where a criminal matter has a current listing date, a lawyer or prosecuting agency may apply online for a court event, where the consent of the other party has been obtained. Use the form at Online Application for a Court Event (Magistrates Courts) for an order seeking:

  1. sentence date (including a short plea, lengthy plea or contested sentence)
  2. an adjournment other than of a hearing
  3. a date for a hearing of an application (including a bail application or a directions hearing)
  4. a direction by the Court (including a direction for the provision of a brief of evidence)
  5. a change of court location, for a plea of guilty only

You need to apply at least two clear business days before the current listed date. See the Deadline for applying online information further down on this page.

Full conditions of use are listed at the top of the form Online Application for a Court Event (Magistrates Courts).

When you can’t apply online

You can’t apply online if:

  • if you are self-represented (this is where you don’t have a lawyer when you go to court)
  • the matter is not a criminal matter
  • you are seeking an order for a pre-sentence report in the Childrens Court.

If you don’t meet the requirements for applying online, you can email the relevant registry. Your email should include as much information as possible about what you are asking the court to do.

Deadline for applying online

Online applications for a court event are managed in accordance with Magistrates Court Practice Direction 7 of 2020 (PDF, 133.2 KB) and Childrens Court Practice Direction 1 of 2021. (PDF, 51.0 KB)

You need to apply no later than 4pm two clear days before the date set by the court.

Applications received after the deadline will not be processed. You will be required to attend court on the date originally set.

The same deadline applies if you email the relevant registry instead of applying online. Emails received after the deadline will not be processed and you will be required to attend court on the date originally set.

Consent to apply

Before you apply, you must obtain the consent of the other party—either prosecution or defence—for the new date.

How to apply online

Complete all mandatory fields in the Online Application for a Court Event (Magistrates Courts).

Provide supporting documentation if possible.

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What happens next

A magistrate will consider your application and decide whether to grant the orders sought.

You will be notified by email of the magistrate’s decision.

If your application is refused, you must attend court on the date that was originally set and comply with any directions or orders made.

If you do not receive a response to your application, you must attend court on the date that was originally set.

Requirement to appear

Parties are required to appear in court unless ordered otherwise.

If your application for a court event is refused or not processed and you fail to appear on the set date, the magistrate will make an order. This could result in a warrant being issued for the defendant’s arrest.