Court Justice: Sydney

An inside look at the machinations of Australia's busiest local court sees Sydney's top magistrates dealing with a violent street brawl that has a surprising outcome, a long running feud between neighbours, and a father of three facing graffiti charges.

Sydney's top magistrates dole out punishment for a spate of alcohol-fuelled crimes. Two British backpackers have violently attacked a cafe owner, an attractive mortgage broker has driven over-the-limit for the third time, while a drunk day at the races ends up in a man urinating on a poker machine.

People from all walks of life end up in Australia's busiest local court. A drug addict, two disrespectful twentysomethings and a priest who has been charged during a protest appear before the magistrates. Before the law all are treated equally.

Sending a defendant to jail is never an easy decision for Magistrates in Australia’s busiest local court. Three defendants are now before them on serious charges, including a king hit and a robbery. The Magistrates’ judgments could change lives forever.

Sydney’s busiest local courts are home to heartbroken parents supporting errant children as they face the full weight of the law. A young man has attacked police at Mardi Gras, a budding athlete has been caught possessing ice, and a man on a second drink driving charge is read the riot act.

Drug offences account for almost twenty percent of all cases before Australia’s busiest local courts. Drug related crime has landed a housewife and a plumber before the courts on serious charges. The balance between rehabilitation and punishment is a tricky one.

Over half the defendants who appear in Australia’s busiest local court will re-offend within ten years. Today four serial offenders tread a familiar path to the court as they appear before the Downing Centre’s frustrated Magistrates.

Drink driving is an endemic problem around the world and in NSW alone 20,000 people are charged with the offence. Magistrates in Sydney’s busiest court have minimal tolerance for drink drivers, especially for repeat offenders. This time three drink drivers suffer the consequences of their actions.

In Australia’s busiest local court a surprising number of defendants choose to do without a lawyer and instead represent themselves. A young driver, a homeless man and a law-abiding grandmother decide to argue against their charges without legal assistance.

Sydney’s hardworking Magistrates reveal the difficult deliberations handing down a sentence to a young man caught for a second time with cocaine. Meanwhile a Sydney cabbie is disputing his first traffic fine in twenty years driving, and a man faces a serious sentence after being caught with a crossbow.