Service of court documents on the Commonwealth
When you commence legal proceedings, you need to bring the proceedings to the attention of the other parties. You do this by providing them with copies of the documents you filed with the court. This is called ‘service’ of a suit or originating process. The relevant court rules will specify how an originating process should be served on the other parties. Usually, it needs to be served in person.
Effecting personal service of originating process
Where the Commonwealth is a party to a suit, a process in that suit must be served on the Attorney-General, or a person they have appointed to receive service. This is a requirement of section 63 of the Judiciary Act 1903.
This means that for an originating process that names the Commonwealth as a party, you can effect personal service by providing the documents to certain people the Attorney-General has appointed to receive service, at the locations listed below.
Australian Government Solicitor
Level 5
4 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600
T: 02 6253 7000
F: N/A
King & Wood Mallesons
Level 12
Constitution Place
1 Constitution Ave,
CANBERRA ACT 2601
T: 02 6217 6000
F: 02 6217 6999
Norton Rose Fulbright
Level 6
Constitution Place
1 Constitution Avenue
Canberra ACT 2601
T: 02 6110 3000
F: 02 9947 6999
Ashurst
Level 9
Civic Quarter
68 Northbourne Avenue
CANBERRA ACT 2601
T: 02 6234 4000
F: 02 6234 4111
Clayton Utz
Level 10
NewActon Nishi
2 Phillip Law St
CANBERRA ACT 2601
T: 02 6279 4000
F: 02 6279 4099
MinterEllison
Level 11
Constitution Place
1 Constitution Ave,
CANBERRA ACT 2601
T: 02 6225 3000
F: 02 6225 1000
Australian Government Solicitor
Level 10
60 Martin Place
Sydney NSW 2000
T: 02 9581 7777
F: N/A
DLA Piper
Level 22
No. 1 Martin Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
T: 02 9286 8000
F: 02 9286 8007
King & Wood Mallesons
Level 61
Governor Phillip Tower
1 Farrer Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
T: 02 9296 2000
F: 02 9296 3999
Norton Rose Fulbright
Level 5
60 Martin Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
T: 02 9330 8000
F: 02 9330 8111
Ashurst
Level 11
5 Martin Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
T: 02 9258 6000
F: 02 9258 6999
Clayton Utz
Level 15
1 Bligh St
SYDNEY NSW 2000
T: 02 9353 4000
F: 02 8220 6700
MinterEllison
Level 40
Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
T: 02 9921 8888
F: 02 9921 8123
Australian Government Solicitor
Level 34
600 Bourke St
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
T: 03 9242 1222
F: N/A
DLA Piper
80 Collins Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
T: 03 9274 5000
F: 03 9274 5111
King & Wood Mallesons
Level 27
Collins Arch
447 Collins Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
T: 03 9643 4000
F: 03 9643 5999
Norton Rose Fulbright
Level 38
Olderfleet
477 Collins Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
T: 03 8686 6000
F: 03 8686 6505
Ashurst
Level 16
80 Collins St
South Tower
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
T: 03 9679 3000
F: 03 9679 3111
Clayton Utz
Level 18
333 Collins Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
T: 03 9286 6000
F: 03 9629 8488
MinterEllison
Level 20
Collins Arch
447 Collins St
MELBOURNE VIC
3000
T: 03 8608 2000
F: 03 8608 1000
Australian Government Solicitor
Level 33
300 George Street
BRISBANE QLD 4000
T: 07 3360 5600
F: N/A
DLA Piper
Level 9
480 Queen St
BRISBANE QLD 4000
T: 07 3246 4000
F: 07 3246 4077
King & Wood Mallesons
Level 33
Waterfront Place
1 Eagle St
BRISBANE QLD 4000
T: 07 3244 8000
F: 07 3244 8999
Norton Rose Fulbright
Level 21
ONE ONE ONE
111 Eagle St
BRISBANE QLD 4000
T: 07 3414 2888
F: 07 3414 2999
Ashurst
Level 38
Riverside Centre
123 Eagle St
BRISBANE QLD 4000
T: 07 3259 7000
F: 07 3259 7111
Clayton Utz
Level 28
Riparian Plaza
71 Eagle St
BRISBANE QLD 4000
T: 07 3292 7000
F: 07 3221 9669
MinterEllison
Level 22
Waterfront Place
1 Eagle St
BRISBANE QLD 4000
T: 07 3119 6000
F: 07 3119 1000
Australian Government Solicitor
Level 21
Exchange Tower
2 The Esplanade
PERTH WA 6000
T: 08 9268 1199
F: 08 9268 1198
DLA Piper
Level 21
240 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
T: 08 6467 6000
F: 08 6467 6001
King & Wood Mallesons
Level 30
QV.1 Building
250 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
T: 08 9269 7000
F: 08 9269 7999
Norton Rose Fulbright
Level 30
108 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
T: 08 6212 3222
F: 08 6212 3444
Ashurst
Level 10
Brookfield Place Tower II
123 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
T: 08 9366 8000
F: 08 9366 8111
Clayton Utz
Level 27
QV.1 Building
250 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
T: 08 9426 8000
F: 08 9481 3095
MinterEllison
Level 4
Allendale Square
77 St Georges Terrace
PERTH WA 6000
T: 08 6189 7800
F: 08 6189 7999
Australian Government Solicitor
Level 5
101 Pirie St
ADELAIDE SA 5000
T: 08 8205 4211
F: N/A
MinterEllison
Level 10
Grenfell Centre
25 Grenfell St
ADELAIDE SA 5000
T: 08 8233 5555
F: 08 8233 5556
Australian Government Solicitor
Level 10
TIO Centre
24 Mitchell St
DARWIN NT 0800
T: 08 8943 1444
F: N/A
Clayton Utz
17-19 Lindsay St
DARWIN NT 0800
T: 08 8943 2555
F: 08 8943 2500
MinterEllison
Level 1
60 Smith Street
Darwin NT 0800
T: 08 8901 5900
F: 08 8901 5902
Law firms providing legal services to the Commonwealth or its agencies may apply to the Office of Legal Services Coordination to be appointed to receive service on behalf of the Commonwealth under the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth).
Refer to Guidance note 9 to the Legal Services Directions 2017 for an indication of the issues an application for appointment should address.
Providing an originating process electronically
AGS has set up an email address to help bring an originating process that names the Commonwealth as a party to the attention of the relevant part of the Commonwealth.
Sending an originating process to this email address will not ordinarily constitute effective service. However, where you send an originating process to that address, AGS will forward the originating process to the relevant Commonwealth department or agency, or their lawyer, in order for them to contact you and advise whether service is accepted.
Find out more about how to email an originating process on the AGS website.