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Note: To search for hearing details for a specific case, visit the hearing list page.

At your protection from harassment hearing

Your protection from harassment case may proceed to a hearing if it is not settled at the previous stages. You will have a chance to present your case in court.

What is a protection from harassment hearing

A hearing in the Protection from Harassment Court (PHC) or the Family Court (FC) takes place before a judge. The hearing happens only if the dispute was not resolved during the previous stages, namely:

Case management conference (for simplified proceedings in the PHC).
Pre-trial conference (for standard proceedings in the PHC for matters commenced before 1 April 2022).
Case conference (for standard proceedings in the PHC for matters commenced on or after 1 April 2022 or proceedings in the FC)
Mediation or counselling.

Note

Before the hearing

Refer to this checklist on what to prepare before going to court.

If you wish to call witnesses during the hearing to give evidence on your behalf, you should do all of the following:

Contact them in advance and check that they are willing to attend court.
Inform the court of the witnesses you intend to call during the pre-trial conference/case management conference/case conference.
The judicial officer may direct you to file your witnesses' statements (for simplified proceedings) or affidavits (for standard proceedings).

Witnesses are to give evidence on facts relevant to the case. Before they testify, they will be required to take an oath or affirmation of truth before the judge.

Apply for a subpoena or an order to attend court

If your witnesses are reluctant to attend court, you may apply for a subpoena (if your matter commenced before 1 April 2022) or an order to attend court (if your matter commenced on or after 1 April 2022) to compel them to attend.

Simplified proceedings in the PHC: Apply through the Community Justice and Tribunals System (CJTS). In CJTS, under the Online Applications tab, select PHC, then select Summons to Witness. For detailed instructions, refer to the CJTS user guide for protection from harassment claims (PDF, 3366 KB).
Standard proceedings in the PHC: Apply through eLitigation.
Proceedings in the FC: An application for an order to attend court may be made through eLitigation. See also part 15 Rule 5 of the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024.

You should apply as soon as possible before the hearing date. There are fees payable and the application is subject to the court's approval.

During the hearing

During the hearing, both you and the other party will take turns to present your case and the supporting evidence.

The judge will direct the flow and manner of the proceedings. The judge may ask you questions or direct you to address relevant issues.

At the end of the hearing

The judge will make a decision based on the merits of the case and according to the law. Find out more about the possible orders the judge may make.

In some cases, the judge may call for further hearing dates, or postpone the judgment to a later date instead.

Need help?

The information here is for general guidance as the courts do not provide legal advice. If you need further help, you may want to get independent legal advice.

Find out more

Resources

Legislation associated with this topic includes:

Family Justice (Protection from Harassment) Rules 2024.
Family Justice (General) Rules 2024.
Division 1 of the Third Schedule of the Family Justice (General) Rules 2024 (regarding fees).
Protection from Harassment Act.
Supreme Court of Judicature (Protection from Harassment) Rules.
Appendix B of the Rules of Court (for matters commenced before 1 April 2022).
Fourth Schedule of the Rules of Court 2021 (for matters commenced on or after 1 April 2022).

Refer to the Family Justice Courts Practice Directions 2024 as well as Appendix D for proceedings that are governed by the Family Justice (Protection from Harassment) Rules 2024.

Go to Step-by-step guide