Sitting days for Cowra Local Court in 2025 are uncertain.

The Local Court won’t sit again this year and whilst it is due to sit again during the final week of January those dates could change with the Department of Communities and Justice confirming changes to Cowra Court sittings.

The changes mean magistrate Rana Daher will no longer preside over matters heard in Cowra Local Court.

Ms Daher had been travelling from Sydney to Cowra each month to preside over matters determined in the Local Court.

“The proposal to change the listing and sitting arrangements on the Orange Circuit was proposed after a regular review of the workload in courts across NSW,” a spokesperson for the Department of Communities and Justice told the Cowra Guardian.

Cowra Court is part of the Orange hub.

Asked who would be replacing Ms Daher the spokesperson said “Responsibility for the allocation of Magistrates and the arrangement of the business of the Court sits with the Chief Magistrate”.

“The Local Court regularly reviews the workload of Courts across the state and reallocates resources to ensure a fair distribution of workload."

“The Chief Magistrate has asked the Orange Circuit to consider the listing and sitting arrangements where one permanent Magistrate will be allocated to the Orange Circuit."

“This was done after a review of the data, and to ensure the workload on the Orange Circuit is on par with other Circuits. "

“It is unlikely that this proposed change would mean a full week each month of Cowra sittings; rather there would be various days at Cowra throughout the month."

Any decision about potential changes the Orange Circuit will be informed by the views of local stakeholders,” the spokesperson said.

During the final Local Court sittings of the year in the final week of November the court adjourned matters as far in advance as August, 2024.

It is not known what will happen to these dates, some of which are set with witness and defendant availability in mind.