The specialist domestic and family violence court in Cairns is hearing criminal matters this month, adding to work at a service that already operates in the city, according to an ABC Far North local briefing published on 14 October.
ABC reported that the refurbished courtroom includes a protected room that can allow victim-survivors to give evidence by video link. It described the work as part of a $19 million upgrade of the Cairns courthouse.
The change should not be confused with the opening of an entirely new specialist court. Queensland Courts already lists Cairns among its specialist domestic and family violence court locations. Its published model aims to coordinate civil and criminal cases and connect court users with specialist support services.
According to ABC, Magistrate Michael Dalton said in court that bringing interrelated cases together was a goal of the arrangement. The published reports do not establish how many cases have been heard or what outcomes they have produced.
Sources: ABC Far North briefing, 14 October 2026; Queensland Courts specialist-court overview.
Image disclosure: The court corridor and video-link screen are an AI-generated conceptual editorial illustration. They do not depict the Cairns courthouse, a hearing or any person involved in a case.
