Perhaps after this 25 October 2021 'mention' brief hearing, the...

Perhaps after this 25 October 2021 'mention' brief hearing, the matter will have a date set for a more substantive hearing.

COVID-19 delays continue to plague most if not all Australian jurisdictions. Certainly true in Victoria where I reside,k and NSW. It's not just jury trials in higher courts that have been badly affected but lower level Magistrates/Local Court hearings as well. There is a large backlog of criminal (and probably civil) cases. This pushes up costs for defendants, but it may also have the ultimate effect of judges taking into account the strain that delays cause defendants.