High Court of Australia

High Court of Australia
Coat of arms of Australia
The High Court building, situated on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra
35°17′56″S 149°08′09″E / 35.29889°S 149.13583°E / -35.29889; 149.13583
Established	1903
Jurisdiction	Australia
Location	Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Coordinates	35°17′56″S 149°08′09″E / 35.29889°S 149.13583°E / -35.29889; 149.13583
Composition method	Appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the attorney-general following the approval of the prime minister and Cabinet
Authorized by	Australian Constitution s 71
Appeals from	Supreme Courts of the states and territories Federal Court Federal Circuit and Family Court
Judge term length	Mandatory retirement by age 70[1]
Number of positions	7, by statute
Website	www.hcourt.gov.au
Chief Justice of Australia
Currently	Stephen Gageler
Since	6 November 2023 (2023-11-06)

Australian court hierarchy
Federal Law Courts
High Court of Australia Federal Court of Australia Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Commonwealth courts and tribunals
Courts of Australian States and Territories
New South Wales courts Victorian courts Queensland courts Western Australian courts South Australian courts Tasmanian courts Australian Capital Territory courts Northern Territory courts Norfolk Island courts
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The High Court of Australia is the apex court of the Australian legal system.^[2] It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified in the Constitution of Australia and supplementary legislation.

The High Court was established following the passage of the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth).^[3] Its authority derives from chapter III of the Australian Constitution, which vests it (and other courts the Parliament creates) with the judicial power of the Commonwealth.^[4] Another legal instrument pertaining to the High Court is the High Court of Australia Act 1979 (Cth).^[5]

The court consists of seven justices, including a chief justice, currently Stephen Gageler. Justices of the High Court are appointed by the governor-general on the formal advice of the attorney-general following the approval of the prime minister and Cabinet.^[6] They are appointed permanently until their mandatory retirement at age 70, unless they retire earlier.

Typically, the court operates by receiving applications for appeal from parties in a process called special leave. If a party's application is accepted, the court will proceed to a full hearing, usually with oral and written submissions from both parties. After conclusion of the hearing, the result is decided by the court. The special leave process does not apply in situations where the court elects to exercise its original jurisdiction; however, the court typically delegates its original jurisdiction to Australia's inferior courts.

The court has resided in Canberra since 1980, following the construction of a purpose-built High Court building, located in the Parliamentary Triangle and overlooking Lake Burley Griffin.^[7] Sittings of the court previously rotated between state capitals, particularly Melbourne and Sydney, and the court continues to regularly sit outside Canberra.