144Rules of court

### 144 Rules of court > > (1)  *\[Section 144 Subsection (1) amended by No. 108 of 1974, s. 36 \]*[*\[Section 144 Subsection (1) omitted by No. 6 of 2003, s. 22, Applied:01 Jul 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-07-01/act-2003-006#GS22@Hpa@EN) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   > > > (2)  *\[Section 144 Subsection (2) omitted by No. 108 of 1974, s. 36 \]*.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   > > > (3)  *\[Section 144 Subsection (3) omitted by No. 108 of 1974, s. 36 \]*.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   > > > (4)  [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 6 of 2003, s. 22, Applied:01 Jul 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-07-01/act-2003-006#GS22@Hpb@EN) *\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 8 of 1961, s. 5 \]**\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 108 of 1974, s. 36 \]**\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 66 of 1975, s. 6 \]**\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 45 of 1986, s. 30 \]**\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 10 of 1994, s. 7 and Sched. 2 \]*Rules of court made by the Magistrates Rule Committee for this Act may, without limiting the generality of the committee's powers, make provision as to – > > > > > > (a) the practice and procedure of justices out of sessions; > > > > > > > (b) the execution of convictions and orders; > > > > > > > (c) the entry of summary judgment upon obligations of a civil nature enforceable as breaches of duty; > > > > > > > (ca) the simple offences and breaches of duty in respect of which a defendant who is served with a summons to answer a complaint of such an offence or breach is, on filing a plea of guilty or not guilty to the charge in the complaint, not required to appear as summoned; > > > > > > > (cb) the practice and procedure relating to the filing of pleas of guilty by defendants to complaints of simple offences and breaches of duty prescribed for the purposes of [paragraph (ca)](#GS144@Gs4@Hpca@EN) ; > > > > > > > (cc) the issue of summonses to persons who are charged with simple offences and breaches of duty requiring them to appear before justices for the taking of pleas only; > > > > > > > (cd) the hearing and determination in the absence of the defendant of complaints for simple offences and breaches of duty where the defendant has failed to appear as summoned or in accordance with his admission to bail, and the taking at such a hearing of the complaint as admitted, but with a right in the defendant to have the conviction or order then made vacated and the complaint reheard, except where he has filed a plea of guilty before the hearing; > > > > > > > (ce) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 67 of 2004, Sched. 1, Applied:30 Mar 2005\]*](/view/html/inforce/2005-03-30/act-2004-067#JS1@Ja7@GC3@Hpa@EN) the practice and procedure relating to matters arising under the [Family Violence Act 2004](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2004-067) ; > > > > > > > (cf) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 72 of 2005, s. 126, Applied:20 Feb 2006\]*](/view/html/inforce/2006-02-20/act-2005-072#GS126@EN) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 69 of 2013, Sched. 1, Applied:17 Feb 2014\]*](/view/html/inforce/2014-02-17/act-2013-069#JS1@Ja14@GC2@EN) the practice and procedure relating to matters arising under the [Mental Health Act 2013](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2013-002) ; > > > > > > > (cg) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 72 of 2007, Sched. 1, Applied:28 Apr 2008\]*](/view/html/inforce/2008-04-28/act-2007-072#JS1@Ja17@GC3@Hpa@EN) the practice and procedure relating to matters arising under the [Monetary Penalties Enforcement Act 2005](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2005-057) ; > > > > > > > (ch) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 29 of 2016, Sched. 1, Applied:25 Nov 2017\]*](/view/html/inforce/2017-11-25/act-2016-029#JS1@Ja4@GC2@EN) the practice and procedure relating to matters arising under the [Domestic Violence Orders (National Recognition) Act 2016](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2016-029) ; > > > > > > > (d) the giving of security under this Act; > > > > > > > (e) the keeping of records of proceedings before justices, and the manner in which things done in the course of, or as preliminary or incidental to, any such proceedings may be proved in any legal proceedings; > > > > > > > (ea) the providing to persons of transcripts of recordings of depositions and proceedings, and copies of recordings of proceedings, in any cause or matter under this Act and the fees payable for transcripts and copies of recordings of proceedings in any such cause or matter and the exemption from the payment of those fees in cases prescribed in the rules; > > > > > > > (eb) the period for the preservation of tapes or other apparatus on to which depositions or proceedings in any cause or matter under this Act are recorded; > > > > > > > (ec) the settlement of disputes as to the accuracy of transcripts of recordings of depositions and proceedings, and copies of recordings of proceedings, in any cause or matter under this Act; > > > > > > > (ed) the oaths to be taken by persons who – > > > > > > > > > > (i) record depositions or proceedings in any cause or matter under this Act; > > > > > > > > > > > (ii) transcribe the recordings of those depositions and proceedings; or > > > > > > > > > > > (iii) copy the recordings of those proceedings; > > > > > > > (f) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 6 of 2003, s. 22, Applied:01 Jul 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-07-01/act-2003-006#GS22@Hpc@EN) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   > > > > > > > (fa) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 6 of 2003, s. 22, Applied:01 Jul 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-07-01/act-2003-006#GS22@Hpc@EN) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   > > > > > > > (fb) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 6 of 2003, s. 22, Applied:01 Jul 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-07-01/act-2003-006#GS22@Hpd@EN) the practice and procedure relating to appeals to magistrates, and reviews of orders by magistrates, under this Act. > > > > > > > (g) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (4) amended by No. 6 of 2003, s. 22, Applied:01 Jul 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-07-01/act-2003-006#GS22@Hpe@EN) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   > > > (5)  [*\[Section 144 Subsection (5) omitted by No. 6 of 2003, s. 22, Applied:01 Jul 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-07-01/act-2003-006#GS22@Hpf@EN) .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   > > > (6)  [*\[Section 144 Subsection (6) amended by No. 22 of 2007, s. 20, Applied:01 Feb 2008\]*](/view/html/inforce/2008-02-01/act-2007-022#GS20@Hpa@EN) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (6) amended by No. 6 of 2003, s. 22, Applied:01 Jul 2003\]*](/view/html/inforce/2003-07-01/act-2003-006#GS22@Hpg@EN) *\[Section 144 Subsection (6) added by No. 19 of 1965, s. 5 \]*Where rules of court are made for the issue of summonses for summary offences without a prior complaint, such a summons shall contain a statement of the charge to be answered, which statement shall be deemed to be a complaint made before a justice and the summons to be a summons issued thereon. > > > (7)  [*\[Section 144 Subsection (7) amended by No. 22 of 2007, s. 20, Applied:01 Feb 2008\]*](/view/html/inforce/2008-02-01/act-2007-022#GS20@Hpb@EN) [*\[Section 144 Subsection (7) inserted by No. 67 of 2004, Sched. 1, Applied:30 Mar 2005\]*](/view/html/inforce/2005-03-30/act-2004-067#JS1@Ja7@GC3@Hpb@EN) Rules of court made under [subsection (4)(ce)](#GS144@Gs4@Hpce@EN) may authorise justices, upon such terms and conditions as they think necessary, to dispense with the need for compliance by a party to proceedings under the [Family Violence Act 2004](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2004-067) with the provisions of any such rules. > > > (8)  [*\[Section 144 Subsection (8) inserted by No. 72 of 2007, Sched. 1, Applied:28 Apr 2008\]*](/view/html/inforce/2008-04-28/act-2007-072#JS1@Ja17@GC3@Hpb@EN) Rules made under [subsection (4)(cg)](#GS144@Gs4@Hpcg@EN) may authorise justices, upon such terms and conditions as they think necessary, to dispense with the need for compliance by a party to proceedings under the [Monetary Penalties Enforcement Act 2005](/view/html/inforce/2026-04-12/act-2005-057) with the provisions of any such rules.