The Local Court of the Northern Territory is established by the Local Court Act 2015. Prior to this the Local Court was known as the 'Court of Summary Jurisdiction'.
The Local Court may sit at any time and at any place the Chief Judge directs. Currently there are permanent Local Courts in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs. There are also routine circuit courts held in 30 Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory.
The Local Court handles the greatest proportion of litigation in the Territory. The two main jurisdictions of the Local Court are criminal and civil. All criminal matters begin in the Local Court and civil matters cases involving debts, damages or other actions in excess of $25,000 to a maximum of $250,000 are heard in the Local Court. There are also specialist courts within the Local Court, including the Youth Justice Court, Work Health Court, and Coroner's Court. You can learn more about jurisdiction here.
A judge usually presides over the Court. The business office of the Local Court is known as the registry, who handle the bulk of court enquiries as well as processing court documentation and orders.