FAQs for teachers visiting the Sydney Courts
General Questions about Visits to the Sydney Courts
Can we attend the Downing Centre for a self-guided visit?
At this stage, the courts have not given permission for self-guided visits to recommence at the Downing Centre. This is due to issues of compliance with child safety requirements, building capacity constraints, WHS and emergency evacuation.
Can we attend other courts in the Sydney area for a self-guided visit? If so, where?
We have been advised that schools are able to seek permission to visit their nearest court complex by making direct contact with the Registrar of the relevant court. Local court locations are listed here: https://localcourt.nsw.gov.au/cl-2.html.
Please be advised that regional schools should seek to attend a larger complex where there are both District and Local Courts sitting due to building capacity constraints at smaller locations.
Can we visit the Supreme Court?
School groups can visit the Supreme Court, who now manage their own bookings and experiences. For more information, please go to https://supremecourt.nsw.gov.au/about-us/visits.html
Can we access Parramatta Courts for a LDO or self-guided visit?
We have been advised by the courts that Parramatta complex is no longer available to school groups for visits due to the high-risk nature of matters that are being heard there.
Can I bring my Commerce students in years 9 and 10 to court?
Commerce groups are no longer able to attend courts for court observations due to issues of compliance with child safety requirements, the inappropriate nature of many cases before court for younger students and building capacity constraints.
Why are we not able to attend matters of a sexual nature, such as sexual assault cases, when we are studying this topic in class?
These matters deal in extremely sensitive and personal details that are often graphic in nature and impact heavily on parties to the matter. They can also be very traumatic to observe. Given that there is no way to tell what the experiences of young people are, the courts have decided students are not to attend these matters in the interests of the participants and the mental health of young people observing.
Why have I been told that I cannot attend a court complex by the registrar?
There are many reasons that Registrars of the court may not be able to accommodate a booking on a particular day. There may be matters that are high risk in nature, there could be staffing constraints, it could be related to building capacity or many other reasons. If you are having issues accessing a particular location, please email us at courtvisit@ruleoflaw.org.au and let us know so we can make some enquiries as to location constraints.
I have adult learners. Do we need a booking for a self-guided visit?
If you have adult learners who want to observe proceedings, you can attend court as a member of the public. If you would like a facilitated experience at the Downing Centre, please get in touch with us at courtvisit@ruleoflaw.org.au.
Can my students attend the courts by themselves in the holidays for observations as members of the public?
Students can attend the courts as members of public in the holidays. We strongly advise that if you are recommending this to your students, that you go through the documentation on our website and give them a briefing as you would if you were to attend as a school group. We also advise that you let parents know that you have encouraged the students to do so. We would not recommend that they attend courts alone, but should go in groups, and they should remember that in attendance at courts there are accused persons who have committed offences against children or are in attendance for drug supply matters.
When will you open the bookings calendar for 2025?
Given the overwhelming and unprecedented response we had to the calendar opening for 2024, we will be staggering the opening of the 2025 calendar in order to give teachers a better opportunity to book in. We will keep teachers posted about the opening of the calendar via our members/ mailing lists and social media channels (Facebook and Instagram).
FAQs for teachers on a Law Day Out with us
You will find all the relevant information in our Law Day Out Program 2023 Information Pack for Teacher. Click here for a copy.
Rule of Law Education is assisting the Courts and the NSW Sheriffs by providing a formal booking system, to ensure that students and teacher’s security and safety is protected. It is critical that teachers have familiarised themselves with the Court Excursion documents before attending the courts.
What is your booking procedure?
There are two excursion options – The Law Day Out is a paid, facilitated excursions with a judicial speaker, Court Visits are free, self- guided and provide approved access to court buildings. (Court Visits are currently not available at the Downing Centre). Bookings for both excursions must be made online on the Rule of Education website. Our booking procedure is outlined in our Booking Flow Chart.
The online form isn’t working for me, what should I do?
We are still unable to open the system for Court Visits as yet as we are still in negotiations with the Sheriff as to how this will operate going forward but are moving toward a resolution soon.
The Sheriffs have requested that schools outside the Sydney Metropolitan area wishing to book a court experience should contact their Local Regional Courts such as Campbelltown, Penrith, Wollongong or Newcastle. Please note Parramatta Courts are currently unavailable for school excursions.
Where do I find the risk assessment?
You can download the risk assessment and other key documents on our Key Documents page.
What is the start time of my Law Day Out or Court Visit?
Our Law Day Outs start at 8:20am..
The 8:20am start is required by the court staff to ensure that there is sufficient time for students to pass through security and be on time to meet with the judicial speaker.
If the 8:20am start for Law Day Outs is too early for your school, we suggest you book a Court Visit that is free and self-guided.
When will I be invoiced?
You will be sent an invoice at the end of the term before your excursion. Payments can be made via Credit Card or Direct transfer.
Why are you asking teachers to prepare questions for students to ask the judicial officers at a LDO?
Judicial Officers frequently request prepared questions to assist their preparation. As the meeting with the judicial officer can often only be for 30 minutes. There is no time to waste and the judicial officer wants to genuinely assist the students with their studies and understanding of the legal system. The prepared questions offer the judicial officer an insight into areas of study they should concentrate on when talking to students.
The Judicial Officers are interested in how students perceive the legal system and their role and enjoy the originality and challenge that some questions pose. Often students are overwhelmed when they first meet a senior judicial officer and prepared questions can be an ‘ice breaker’ to get the conversation started.
A list of Prepared Questions can be found here.
How do I contact my facilitator?
If you need to contact us directly you can email courtvisits@ruleoflaw.org.au
I have to cancel or change my Law Day Out, what is the procedure?
Please contact us on courtvisits@ruleoflaw.org.au
I have a special needs student attending a court excursion.
Please contact us on courtvisits@ruleoflaw.org.au