Our court system, like most other official systems, is hierarchical in structure. The High Court, which is the final court of appeal in Australia, is at the top of the structure. The Victorian Magistrates' Court, which is the court most of us are more likely to come into contact with, is at the bottom. In between are the County and Supreme Courts of Victoria. Then there are the Family Court and the Federal Court, which are both Commonwealth courts.

The Federal Government has announced that the Federal Magistrates Court will be discontinued, but at the time of writing (1 July 2011) no specific time had been set for the decision to take effect. For the overall structure of state and Commonwealth courts, see the diagram following.

Tribunals, which are less formal forums for resolving disputes in specialised areas, have also become an important part of the Australian justice system and are discussed later in the chapter.