Perth's court system clusters tightly in the CBD along Hay Street and Barrack Street. The Perth Magistrates Court at 501 Hay Street sits almost directly opposite the District Court of Western Australia at 500 Hay Street, with the Supreme Court a short walk away — its General Division and Court of Appeal working between the David Malcolm Justice Centre at 28 Barrack Street and the historic Supreme Court building at Stirling Gardens, on the corner of Barrack Street and St Georges Terrace. As the capital of Western Australia, Perth is home to roughly two million people — around 80 percent of the state — so its metropolitan courts carry by far the heaviest caseload in WA, and because the state is so vast the District and Supreme Courts also run regional circuit sittings whose serious matters often end up heard back in the CBD precinct. Not every Perth-area charge is heard downtown, though: busy suburban Magistrates Courts at Joondalup, Armadale, Fremantle, Midland and Rockingham serve their parts of greater Perth, so where your matter is listed usually depends on where it happened. WA Police run heavy random breath testing and speed enforcement across the metro arterials — the Mitchell, Kwinana and Graham Farmer Freeways and Tonkin Highway — and the Booze Bus units, fixed and mobile speed cameras and red-light cameras feed a steady stream of drink-driving and traffic matters into the Perth Magistrates Court.
Criminal Law in Perth
Most everyday criminal charges in the Perth metropolitan area — assaults, stealing, drug possession, public order offences — start at the Perth Magistrates Court at 501 Hay Street. Summary (less serious) offences are usually finalised there, while more serious indictable charges have their first appearance and committal in the Magistrates Court before being sent up to the District Court of Western Australia at 500 Hay Street, or for the gravest matters such as murder, to the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
The substantive offences are mostly set out in the Criminal Code Act Compilation Act 1913 (WA) — the WA Criminal Code — while how a case moves through the courts is governed by the Criminal Procedure Act 2004 (WA), and any penalty is fixed under the Sentencing Act 1995 (WA). Drug charges are dealt with under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1981 (WA).
What you say and do at the first appearance — including whether you apply for bail and how you plead — can shape everything that follows. Getting clear information early, before you're standing in the Hay Street courtroom, helps you understand your options instead of making decisions under pressure.
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Family Law in Perth
Family law in Western Australia is unusual: unlike the rest of the country, WA has its own Family Court of Western Australia at 150 Terrace Road, Perth, which deals with parenting arrangements, property settlements and most family disputes for people in this state. Federal matters such as migration and bankruptcy are instead handled at the Peter Durack Commonwealth Law Courts Building at 1 Victoria Avenue, the Perth registry of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Where family violence is involved, protection comes through family violence restraining orders made under the Restraining Orders Act 1997 (WA), which are dealt with in the Magistrates Court and can run alongside parenting or property proceedings.
Family matters move at their own pace but the early choices — about where children live, what's said in affidavits, and how property is disclosed — carry weight for a long time. Understanding the WA-specific system before you file or respond can save a great deal of stress and cost.
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Divorce in Perth
Divorce itself is federal law and works the same in Perth as everywhere in Australia — it is the formal legal end of the marriage, granted under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) after twelve months' separation, and is separate from sorting out property or arrangements for children. In WA, those parenting and property questions are handled by the Family Court of Western Australia rather than by a separate federal family court.
A divorce application is generally made online through the Commonwealth Courts Portal, and many straightforward applications don't require you to attend court in person at all. In WA, the Family Court of Western Australia at 150 Terrace Road, Perth is the local registry that handles divorce applications.
The divorce order and the property settlement run on different clocks, and there are time limits that apply once you're divorced. Getting the sequence right — and not leaving property or superannuation unresolved — is where early information matters most.
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Drink Driving in Perth
Drink-driving charges across greater Perth are almost always heard at the Perth Magistrates Court at 501 Hay Street, or at a suburban Magistrates Court such as Joondalup, Armadale, Fremantle, Midland or Rockingham depending on where you were stopped. WA Police run intensive random breath testing on the Mitchell, Kwinana and Graham Farmer Freeways and Tonkin Highway, and the Booze Bus mobile units operate heavily right across the metro area.
The offences and penalties sit in the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA), with licensing consequences flowing through the Road Traffic (Authorisation to Drive) Act 2008 (WA). Penalties scale with your blood alcohol reading and your history, and a licence disqualification is a real possibility even for a first offence at higher readings.
Because losing your licence affects work, family and daily life, the decisions you make early — about your plea and what the court is told about your circumstances — genuinely matter. Clear information up front helps you understand what you're facing before the matter is listed.
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Traffic Law in Perth
Traffic matters — serious speeding, driving while disqualified, reckless or dangerous driving, and demerit-point licence issues — are dealt with at the Perth Magistrates Court at 501 Hay Street or the relevant suburban Magistrates Court for where the offence occurred. Perth's fixed and mobile speed cameras and red-light cameras across the metro arterials generate a constant flow of these matters.
The core rules are in the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA), with the administrative framework in the Road Traffic (Administration) Act 2008 (WA) and licensing under the Road Traffic (Authorisation to Drive) Act 2008 (WA). Some traffic offences are dealt with by infringement, but more serious ones carry court appearances, fines and possible disqualification.
It's easy to underestimate a traffic charge until the demerit points or a disqualification threaten your licence. Knowing whether to pay, dispute or appear — and what the likely consequences are — is much easier with clear information before any deadline passes.
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Perth Courts
Where your matter is heard depends on the offence and its seriousness. The courts that serve Perth are:
Perth Magistrates Court (Magistrates Court of Western Australia)
Central Law Courts, 501 Hay Street, Perth WA 6000. The first-instance criminal court for summary offences, bail applications, first appearances and committals for indictable matters, restraining orders and minor civil claims. Most drink-driving, traffic and everyday criminal charges in metropolitan Perth start and are finalised here.
District Court of Western Australia
500 Hay Street, Perth WA 6000. WA's intermediate trial court, almost directly opposite the Magistrates Court. Hears serious indictable crimes tried by judge and jury, sentences matters committed up from the Magistrates Court, decides larger civil claims and hears some appeals from the Magistrates Court.
Supreme Court of Western Australia
David Malcolm Justice Centre, 28 Barrack Street, Perth WA 6000 (central office and civil division); the historic Supreme Court building at Stirling Gardens, corner of Barrack Street and St Georges Terrace, is used for the Court of Appeal and criminal trials. WA's highest court — the General Division hears the most serious crimes and major civil disputes, and the Court of Appeal hears appeals from the District Court and single judges.
Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia — Perth registry
Peter Durack Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 1 Victoria Avenue, Perth WA 6000. The federal registry for matters such as migration, bankruptcy, consumer and industrial law and divorce. Note that most family law in WA is instead handled by the separate Family Court of Western Australia.
Family Court of Western Australia
150 Terrace Road, Perth WA 6000. WA's dedicated state family court — uniquely among the states, WA runs its own family court for parenting arrangements, property settlements, divorce applications and most family disputes, rather than these going through a separate federal family court.
What to Do Right Now
1
Find out which court your matter is listed at — check your charge sheet, bail papers or court notice for the location, which may be the Perth Magistrates Court at 501 Hay Street or a suburban court like Joondalup, Armadale, Fremantle, Midland or Rockingham.
2
Note every date and deadline — your court listing date, any deadline to elect to dispute an infringement, and any bail conditions you must follow.
3
Gather your documents in one place — the charge or infringement notice, any police paperwork, your licence details, and a short written account of what happened while it's fresh.
4
Call the free legal hotline for 24/7 legal information, and to book a fixed-fee consultation with an admitted Western Australian lawyer if you'd like advice on your specific situation.
Perth Legal Questions
Which court will my charge be heard at in Perth?
Most criminal, drink-driving and traffic charges in metropolitan Perth are heard at the Perth Magistrates Court at 501 Hay Street, or at a suburban Magistrates Court such as Joondalup, Armadale, Fremantle, Midland or Rockingham depending on where the offence happened. More serious indictable matters are committed up to the District Court of Western Australia at 500 Hay Street, and the gravest cases go to the Supreme Court. Check your court notice for the exact location and date.
Can I speak to a lawyer the same day in Perth?
Our hotline gives you free legal information 24/7, so you can get clear answers straight away. If you want advice on your specific situation, we can book a fixed-fee consultation with an admitted Western Australian lawyer — often quickly. We are not a law firm, so what we provide directly is legal information, not legal advice.
Will I lose my licence for drink driving in Perth?
It's possible. Drink-driving penalties in WA are set under the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA) and scale with your blood alcohol reading and your driving history, and a disqualification can apply even on a first offence at higher readings. The exact consequences depend on your circumstances, which is why getting clear information early — before your matter is listed at the Magistrates Court — is worthwhile.
Can I get divorced online in Perth?
Yes — divorce is federal law and a divorce application is generally made online through the Commonwealth Courts Portal, and many straightforward applications don't require a court appearance. Keep in mind that in WA, divorce and the related parenting and property questions are handled by the Family Court of Western Australia at 150 Terrace Road, Perth, rather than by a separate federal family court. There are time limits once you're divorced, so it's worth understanding the sequence early.
Is the hotline really free?
Yes. The legal information service is free and available 24/7, operated by Platfirm AI — not a law firm. There is no charge to call and get legal information. If you choose to go further and book a consultation with an admitted Western Australian lawyer, that is a separate fixed fee, and you'll know the cost before you commit.