| Chief Industrial Magistrate's Court | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Established | 1912 |
| Jurisdiction | New South Wales, Australia |
| Authorized by | Parliament of New South Wales via the Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW) |
| Appeals to | Industrial Court of New South Wales |
| Website | www.localcourt.justice.nsw.gov.au |
| Chief Magistrate | |
| Currently | Judge Graeme Henson |
| Since | 2006 |
The Chief Industrial Magistrate's Court of New South Wales, a division of the Local Court of New South Wales, is a court within the Australian court hierarchy established pursuant to the Industrial Relations Act 1996 (NSW).
The Local Court is the lowest court in the court hierarchy in New South Wales, Australia. The Court deals with the majority of civil and criminal disputes in the State. The role of industrial magistrate allows certain magistrates to deal exclusively with and specialise in certain types of industrial matters in New South Wales including matters covered by both New South Wales and Commonwealth legislation.
Magistrates have been a part of the New South Wales industrial system since the early days of the British colony established in 1788. The first officially appointed Chief Industrial Magistrate was appointed in 1912. Chief Industrial Magistrates have continued to be appointed since that year, and currently, the industrial work of the court is carried out principally by that magistrate, although other magistrates are appointed as Industrial Magistrates on a needs basis.