Albany Courthouse is located at 184 Stirling Terrace, Albany WA 6330.
Contact Details
Phone: 08 9845 5200
Fax: 08 9841 7920
Email: albanycourt@justice.wa.gov.au
Registry hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm (closed 1pm to 2pm)
About the Court
Albany Courthouse is the principal court for the Great Southern region of Western Australia. It operates as a Magistrates Court handling criminal and civil matters and also serves as a District Court registry. The District Court sits at Albany on circuit, meaning that serious indictable matters committed from the Magistrates Court — including serious assaults, sexual offences, significant drug offences, fraud, and burglary — are heard by a District Court judge in Albany rather than being transferred to Perth. This makes Albany one of the more significant regional court locations in the state in terms of the range and seriousness of matters dealt with locally.
What Matters Are Heard Here
The Magistrates Court at Albany handles summary offences in their entirety and the early stages of all indictable matters. Summary matters — which include most traffic offences, minor assaults, drug possession, stealing, and breach of restraining orders — are resolved at this level. Indictable matters begin here with a first appearance and, depending on the charge, either remain in the Magistrates Court or are committed up to the District Court sitting at Albany.
Legal Aid WA provides a duty lawyer service at Albany for criminal matters on Thursdays, with additional coverage on other weekdays for persons still in custody following an arrest. A duty lawyer is a limited service — they assist with immediate procedural steps and are not a substitute for ongoing legal representation by a lawyer who has reviewed your full matter.
If You Are Facing a Serious Charge
For matters that proceed to the District Court at Albany, the stakes are significantly higher than at the Magistrates Court level. District Court matters can involve jury trials, lengthy sentence hearings, and maximum penalties measured in years of imprisonment. The preparation required — obtaining and reviewing the full prosecution brief, identifying defence witnesses, considering expert evidence, and advising on the merits of a trial versus a negotiated plea — begins long before the matter reaches the District Court listing. Engaging a lawyer at the earliest stage of proceedings, including at the Magistrates Court committal level, is essential to preserving all available options.
Pleading Guilty vs Contesting a Charge
One of the most consequential decisions in any criminal matter is whether to plead guilty or defend the charge. At Albany Courthouse, as in any court, that decision should only be made after reviewing the prosecution’s evidence, obtaining legal advice on whether the elements of the offence are properly established, and understanding what the sentencing range looks like in comparable cases. A guilty plea entered without that groundwork may resolve the matter quickly but leave significant outcomes — including conviction, disqualification, or imprisonment — that could have been avoided or reduced with proper preparation.
Our criminal lawyers are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and assist clients across the Great Southern region. Call 1300 331 331 for a free first consultation.