Magistrates’ Court technology standards

Technology

Courtrooms are fitted with different levels of technology and may be referred to as a 2-star court (dual screen displays), CORE court  or single screen court. 

The capability of each court room is outlined in the list of available technology. There may be some variations depending on when installation occurred.

Physical media/file formats

If a party seeks to rely on electronic evidence or audio visual material contained on a CD, DVD, USB hard drive or flash-drive the below standards must be adhered to, to ensure the evidence can be played on the in-court Sony DVD/Blu-Ray players.

If material in the below format is being provided, confirmation with the court coordinator is required to ensure the material will be compatible with a DVD and/or Blu-Ray player.

Audio standards and visual standards

Standard audio CD or video DVD playback

• MP4
• MP3
• WMA
• WMV

Digital image standards

• JPEG
• PNG
• GIF
• TIF

Document camera (2-star courts only)

A document camera is a portable unit which can be relocated into court rooms equipped with 2-star technology to display printed material to the court.

PC and laptop

A limited number of courts are equipped with a VGA video input, a 3.5mm analogue stereo audio input and all courts have a HDMI input to enable media to be played from a PC or laptop as follows:

• 2-star courts have the capacity to play evidence from a point located at the bar table or witness box
• CORE courts have the capability to display evidence from a point located at the bench clerks desk
• single Screen courts have the capability to display evidence from a point located at the bar table.

Any other device

Any devices outside of the above standards, including Apple devices, will require the party presenting the evidence to provide a suitable adaptor/s to enable connectivity to a female VGA input, a female 3.5mm analogue stereo audio input or a HDMI input.

Testing

Prior to the court hearing, material to be presented to the court via a Sony DVD or Blu-Ray player or some other alternate device should be tested to eliminate delays in court due to defective or incompatible media or incompatible device settings or device type.

If testing is required, it is advised to contact the court coordinator at the location where the matter is listed well in advance of the hearing to book a suitable time to undertake testing.

If testing is not undertaken, it is recommended that an alternative device is available in the event that the format is not supported by the in-court DVD or Blu-Ray player. The alternative device should be tested by the operator prior to the court hearing.

Regardless of the device used for presentation, the party presenting the material should be fully familiar with the operation of and settings on their device(s) such as adjusting resolution and external display or projection settings or, have their own resources on hand that can assist as needed.

Booking of resources

If a document camera and/or DVD and Blu-Ray player is required for the hearing, the court coordinator at the location where the matter is listed must be advised at the earliest possible opportunity. This is to ensure matters are allocated to a court room with the required facilities.