ACT Courts and Tribunal
Service Charter

The ACT Courts and Tribunal (ACTCT) aims to provide high quality support to judicial officers and tribunal members and high-quality services to the public who come into contact with the ACT Courts and Tribunal. The ACTCT:

  • recognise customers of the Courts and Tribunal have diverse needs and expectations and has information on our websites to assist people in accessing our services;
  • is committed to ensuring the principles of access and equity for all of our customers; and
  • value our customers and aim to provide support to customers in accordance with this Service Charter.

Our Organisational Values

Our values are Respect, Integrity, Collaboration and Innovation.

Respect

  • We take pride in our work;
  • We value the contribution of others; and
  • We relate to colleagues and clients in a fair, decent and respectful manner.

Integrity

  • We do what we say we will do, and respond appropriately when the unexpected occurs;
  • We take responsibility and are accountable for our decisions and actions; and
  • We engage genuinely with the community, managing resources entrusted to us honestly and responsibly.

Collaboration

  • We work openly and share information to reach shared goals; and
  • We take on board other views when solving problems and welcome feedback on how we can do better.

Innovation

  • We look for ways to continuously improve our services and skills; and
  • We are open to change and new ideas from all sources.

Our Behaviours

Our Staff must:

  • Undertake their duties with reasonable care and diligence, impartiality and honestly;
  • Uphold the values of the public service; and
  • Act with integrity and uphold the reputation of the Courts, ACAT and ACTCT.

You can expect ACTCT staff to:

  • be professional, polite and impartial;
  • provide a prompt and efficient service;
  • do our best to protect the welfare and rights of court and tribunal users; and
  • aim to respond within the following timeframes:
  • Process bails and recognisances within 30 minutes.
  • Answer telephone calls and return phone messages within 1 business day;
  • Process lodged documents within 3 business days;
  • Respond to emails within 2 business days;
  • Respond to general written enquiries within 5 business days;
  • Respond to complaints within 21 days.

(Please note ACTCT staff doesn’t include Registrars and Deputy Registrars exercising judicial functions)

Our Services

The ACTCT:

  • provides practical and procedural information about the work of the ACT Courts and ACAT;
  • provides counter services for enquiries and the lodgement of court and tribunal documents;
  • creates and maintain court and tribunal records, and provides safe custody for subpoenaed documents, wills and exhibits;
  • collects court and tribunal fees and fines;
  • provides access to files or documents to court and tribunal users;
  • prepares and distributes court and tribunal hearing dates and times;
  • provides administrative assistance to judicial officers and tribunal members in the performance of their duties;
  • summons members of the public to serve as jurors in criminal trials; and
  • provides library services through the Russell Fox Library.

The ACTCT does not:  

  • give legal advice or opinion;
  • recommend particular solicitors or legal firms;
  • prepare documents for you or research your matter.

You can assist the ACTCT by:

  • being punctual for court and tribunal appointments;
  • keeping your contact details up to date;
  • providing accurate and complete information;
  • telling us in advance about any particular needs you have;
  • telling us in advance if you cannot attend a matter;
  • telling us if your contact details change;
  • responding to our requests for further information as soon as possible;
  • treating our staff with respect;
  • taking responsibility for your matter and taking steps to obtain legal advice if needed; and
  • reporting any suspicious behaviour to a security officer or member of our staff.

Complaints and Feedback

If you believe that the ACTCT has not met this service charter, please see our Complaints and Feedback policy about how you might make a complaint or provide us with feedback.