Legal Services

The Magistrates Court deals with several different types of matters, including but not limited to minor civil matters, youth matters, coronial matters and criminal matters. The types of criminal matters that the Magistrates Court deals with includes (but is not limited to):

• Driving offences: Drink and drug driving and traffic offences

• Family violence: Family violence orders, breaches of these orders, common assault

• Dishonesty offences: stealing, burglary, aggravated burglary

• Minor drug matters: possessing illicit drugs/plant, using controlled plant or illicit drug, trafficking in controlled drug or plant (minor offence)

• Minor property matters: damage and injury to property and vandalism

• Offences against people: common assault

• Public order offences and offences against Police: disorderly behaviour, abusive language to police, threaten police, assault police

These types of matters are heard before a Magistrate.

The Supreme Court deals with more serious criminal and civil cases. In terms of the type of more serious cases the Supreme Court deals with they include (but are not limited to):

• Sexual offences: Rape, persistent sexual abuse of a child or young person

• Homicide: Murder, manslaughter, causing death by dangerous driving

• Crimes Endangering Life or Health: Strangulation, persistent family violence

• Assaults: aggravated assault, assault on a pregnant person

• Dishonesty: Stealing and Aggravated Burglary (with higher values), robbery, carjacking, fraud

• Property Offences: more serious cases of damage to property and arson. 

If you plead guilty to crimes in the Supreme Court, you will be sentenced by a Judge. If you take a matter to trial and plead not guilty, your matter in almost all cases will be determined by a jury.

The above list are just examples, and is not exhaustive. You should ensure that before you speak to Police or enter any pleas to matters you obtain legal advice.

Our Custody Notification Service provides wellbeing support and access to lawyers 24/7 to people in custody who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander in Tasmania.

The family and child safety matters we can assist with include;

• Parenting matters
  *We are not funded to provide services in respect of financial settlements or divorce.

• Child Safety advice and appearances

TALS understands how sometimes the most vulnerable people who need access to legal assistance are also those who face the most difficulties asking for help. We work hard to ensure everyone can access our services.

TALS works to provide legal assistance to people outside a traditional legal setting by:

• attending at Risdon Prison to ensure those in custody (either on remand or serving sentence) will have access to legal advice and representation.

• working with Aboriginal community organisations for regular visiting sessions to encourage people to seek legal information and advice.

TALS has a dedicated program to support victims/survivors of family violence and sexual assault, this program is called SiS.

You can visit the SiS website for further details - www.sistas.org.au