The Standards and Benchmarks for Client Services in Local Courts have been developed by a research team in consultation with the reference group and staff of the Local Courts of New South Wales. They focus on the major client services of the Local Courts and set targets for use by individual courts, the Chief Magistrate's Office and the central administration.

The standards and benchmarks for court client services were first developed in 1996 in response to a need recognised by Registrars of Local Courts in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The Centre for Court Policy and Administration at the University of Wollongong worked with Local Courts, with the support of an Australian Research Council Collaborative research grant, to produce a relevant and usable set of standards for court services. The project was directed by a reference group which included Magistrates, Registrars and court administrators and staff.
 

This second edition of the principles, standards and benchmarks for Client Services in Local Courts introduces a set of optional reviews at different levels (daily, local, peer and central reviews). The other main innovation is that this edition is published on line with the assistance of the Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales.

The second edition was written by Richard Mohr, Brendan Condie and Helen Gamble. It was trialled in six courts in NSW, and has benefited from the interest and suggestions of numerous local courts personnel, including Magistrates, Registrars and staff.