Appendix 1 - Outcome and program statement: Federal Circuit Court of Australia
Appendix 2 - Staffing profile
Appendix 3 - Freedom of information
Appendix 4 - Committees
Appendix 5 - External involvement
Appendix 6 - Judges' activities
Appendix 7 - Contact details
Appendix 8 - Information required by other legislation
Appendix 1 Outcome and program statement: Federal Circuit Court of Australia
|
Outcome 3: Apply and uphold the rule of law for litigants in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia through more informal and streamlined resolution of family law and general federal law matters according to law, through the encouragement of appropriate dispute resolution processes and through the effective management of the administrative affairs of the Court. |
Budget |
Actual |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Program 3.1 – Federal Circuit Court of Australia |
|
|
|
|
Administered expenses |
|||
|
Ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act No.1) |
880 |
807 |
73 |
|
Special appropriations |
200 |
431 |
–231 |
|
Departmental expenses |
|||
|
Departmental appropriation1 |
93,582 |
96,717 |
–3,135 |
|
Expenses not requiring appropriation in the budget year |
2,351 |
3,010 |
-659 |
|
Total for Program 3.1 |
97,013 |
100,965 |
–3,952 |
|
Total expenses for outcome 3 |
97,013 |
100,965 |
–3,952 |
|
Average staffing level (number) |
526 |
504 |
|
1 Departmental appropriation combines ordinary annual services (Appropriation Act Nos 1 and 3) and retained revenue receipts under section 74 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
Appendix 2 - Staffing profile: Federal Circuit Court of Australia
From 1 July 2016, the Courts Administration Legislation Amendment Act 2016 merged the corporate service functions of the Family Court of Australia (Family Court) and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia (Federal Circuit Court) with the Federal Court of Australia (Federal Court) into a single administrative entity – known as the Federal Court of Australia.
Heads of jurisdiction continue to be responsible for managing the administrative affairs of their respective courts (excluding corporate services), with assistance from a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Principal Registrar.
All staff are employed by the Federal Court under the Public Service Act 1999, regardless of which court or tribunal they work for or provide services to.
The total staffing number for the combined entity, as at 30 June 2019, was 1098 employees. This includes 775 ongoing and 323 non-ongoing employees.
Staff providing direct support to the Federal Circuit Court (numbers of which are included in the total number above) include:
- 142 judicial support staff providing support to judges of the Federal Circuit Court
- 43 registrars providing direct support to the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court, and
- 94 family consultants providing direct support to the Federal Circuit Court and Family Court.
At 30 June 2019, there were 69 judicial positions in the Federal Circuit Court, including the Chief Judge. Judges numbers are not included in the overall entity staffing number.
For more information about staffing see Part 4 (Management of the Court) and Appendix 9 (Staffing profile) of the Federal Court of Australia’s 2018–19 annual report.
Appendix 3 - Committees
| OVERARCHING COMMITTEES | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Title |
Members |
Terms of reference |
|
National Practice Area Committee |
|
To advise the Chief Judge about current and proposed case management structures, judicial conduct, judicial education and possible interaction between the Federal Circuit Court and other courts. Each area of the Court is represented according to national practice area:
|
|
Case Management Judges Committee |
|
To assist the Chief Judge and the National Coordinator of Case Management in the case management of the Court and to enhance the adoption of consistent case management practices throughout the Court. |
|
Legal Committee |
|
To consider and refer recommendations to the Chief Judge and the Court on possible rule amendments and wider legal issues concerning the Court’s jurisdiction. |
|
WORKING GROUPS AND COMMITTEES |
||
|
Title |
Members |
Terms of reference |
|
Finance Committee |
|
To consider the Court’s budget position and financial affairs and to make recommendations to the Chief Judge, where appropriate, on policies and procedures in light of expenditure. The committee also assists the CEO and Principal Registrar in the discharge of his or her obligations arising from the delegation of responsibility for the Federal Circuit Court budget, as part of the broader entity. |
|
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access to Justice Committee |
|
To assess how the Federal Circuit Court can improve access to justice in this Court for Indigenous litigants. |
|
Family Violence Committee |
|
To provide advice to the Chief Judge, the Chief Justice and the CEO and Principal Registrar of both courts on the issue of family violence. |
|
Judicial Wellbeing Committee |
Regional wellbeing coordinators
|
To promote and protect the health and wellbeing of the Court’s judges throughout their judicial careers. |
|
Judicial Education Committee |
|
To provide advice and recommendations to the Chief Judge on judicial education and professional development and to coordinate and promote professional development activities. |
|
Digital Court Program Steering Group *joint committee |
|
To oversee the introduction of the Digital Court File and document management system and associated case management. |
|
Rules Harmonisation Working Group *joint committee |
|
Responsible for developing a common set of rules, forms and case management in the courts. The working group is chaired by the Hon Dr Chris Jessup QC, assisted by two barristers, Ms Emma Poole and Mr Christopher Lum. |
|
Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Committee |
|
To identify barriers to access to justice in the Federal Circuit Court for persons from non-English speaking backgrounds. Identify the relevant issues and develop and implement strategies to overcome such barriers. |
|
Children’s Committee *joint committee |
|
To explore the work to be undertaken with respect to the involvement of children in parenting proceedings and improving the experiences of children in the family law system. |
|
Joint Costs Advisory Committee *joint committee |
|
To advise the justices and judges of the courts on variations in the quantum of costs for legal practitioners (including expenses and fees for witnesses) which may be fixed in the rules of each court. |
|
Federal Court Security Committee *joint committee |
|
Considers issues of security across the Federal Courts with cross-jurisdictional representation, supporting the overarching security issues across the entity. |
Appendix 4 - Judge activities
Chief Judge William Alstergren
Professional and other memberships
- National Judicial College of Australia
- Law Institute of Victoria
- Victorian Bar
- Judicial College of Australia
- International Hague Network of Judges
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 26 July 2018, Victorian Law Association, Family Law Forum.
- 3–4 August 2018, Hunter Valley Family Law Practitioners Association and Newcastle registry of the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court, 2018 Hunter Valley Family Law Conference, Keynote speaker: State of the Nation.
- 7 August 2018, Federal Circuit Court, hosted the Industrial Bar Association Panel Discussion in honour of Justice Tracey of the Federal Court of Australia.
- 2–3 October 2018, 3rd National Independent Children’s Lawyers Conference, Law Council of Australia – Family Law Section, Family Law Conference, Brisbane. Speech: State of the Nation.
- 17 October 2019, Victorian Bar, Essoign Club, Speech: Arbitration in Family Law.
Judge Michael Jarrett
Professional and other memberships
- Chair, Committee for the Implementation for the International Framework for Court Excellence
- Business Processes and Information Technology Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- Associates’ Workload Working Group (Federal Circuit Court)
- Judicial Reference Group Committee
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 27 July 2018, Family Law Practitioners Association and Queensland Young Lawyers, Confidence in the Courtroom, Brisbane.
- 8 February 2019, Gold Coast District Law Association, Meet the Judiciary Breakfast, Gold Coast.
- 27–31 March 2019, HCCH, Family Mediation Symposium, Singapore.
- 16 May 2019, Legal Aid Queensland, Family Law Intensive, Brisbane. Paper presented: The Management of Property Applications in the Federal Circuit Court.
- 19 May 2019, Logan and Scenic Rim Law Association, Breakfast with the Judiciary, Mt Cotton.
Judge Grant Riethmuller
Professional and other memberships
- Law Council of Australia, Family Law Section
- Judicial Conference of Australia
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 8–12 July 2018, Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2018 National Family Law Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia.
- 28 February 2019 to 1 March 2019, National Judicial College of Australia, Applying Family Law to Parenting and Property Program, Darwin.
- International Survey of Family Law, 2018 Edition, Chapter, Australia ‘Greater Recognition of Adults as Individuals’,
Judge Kevin Lapthorn
Professional and other memberships
- Judicial Conference of Australia
- Australian Institute of Judicial Administration
- Association of International Family Judges
- Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
- Bar Association of Queensland
- New South Wales Bar Association
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 3–10 September 2018, Learned Friends Professional Education, Legal Conference, Iceland. Paper presented: It’s All Your Fault: The Difficult Client = How To Achieve Better Outcomes With An Understanding of Neuroscience.
- 20–21 May 2019, National Judicial College of Australia, Family Law Program, Melbourne. Justice Judy Ryan and Judge Kevin Lapthorn teaching: Applying Family Law to Parenting and Applying Family Law to Property.
Judge Kate Hughes
Professional and other memberships
- Judicial Conference of Australia
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 18 September 2018, Women Lawyers Association ACT, judicial mentoring lunch.
- 15 March 2019, Access to Justice Conference, family law session, Canberra.
- 15–16 March 2019, Legal Aid NSW, Child Representation Conference, Canberra.
Judge Philip Burchardt
Professional and other memberships
- Association of International Refugee Law Judges
- Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand
- The Industrial Bar Association
- International Society of Family Law
- International Academy of Family Lawyers Membership
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 17–19 October 2018, International Association for Procedural Law, IAPL World Conference, Salamanca, Spain.
Judge Stephen Coates
Professional and other memberships
- Bar Association of Queensland
- International Bar Association
- LAWASIA
- International Association of Refugee Law Judges
- Judicial Conference of Australia
- Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration
Judge Dale Kemp
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 12 July 2018, Affinity Intercultural Foundation, Diversity and the Australian Law School, Sydney.
- 28 September 2018, Anglo Australasian Lawyers Society, presentation by British High Commission: Australia-Britain Relations, Sydney.
- 7–11 October 2018, International Bar Association, Annual Conference, Rome.
- 23 October 2018, Inner Temple, Social Context of the law of assisted dying, London.
- 31 October 2018, NSW Bar association, Annual Event.
- 31 October 2018, Notre Dame University, School of Law, Adjunct Associate Professor Rev Peter Kurti book launch: Euthanasia: putting the culture to death, Sydney.
- 15 November 2018, College of Law, Book launch: Inside Family Law – Conversations from the Coalface, Sydney.
- 27 November 2018, Macquarie University, 2018 Blackshield lecture by Stephen Gageler, Federal Court.
- 30 November 2018, National Judicial College, Family Violence in the Court program, Sydney.
- 16 February 2019, WA Family Law Practitioners, Farewell to Chief Judge of Family Court of WA.
- 12 March 2019, ACU Lecture, Sydney.
- 16 March 2019, Toongabbie Legal Centre, Chaired session: Arbitration and the Family Law System.
- 28 March 2019, Notre Dame University, Graduation, Sydney.
- 17 May 2019, Notre Dame University, mentor induction night, Sydney.
- 23 May 2019, Notre Dame University, Graduation, Sydney.
- 27 May 2019, Notre Dame London, Presented: From Notre Dame Sydney.
- 12 June 2019, Australian High Commission, London, William Hague and Alexander Downer in Conversation.
- 27 June 2019, Law Society of NSW, Ethical Legal practice and professional responsibility book launch, Sydney.
Judge Paul Howard
Professional and other memberships
- LAWASIA
- Judicial Conference of Australia
- Queensland Bar Association
- Commonwealth Magistrates Judges Association
- Hellenic Australian Lawyers
- The Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration
Conferences or events attended during the year
- March–July 2018, Federal Judicial Center, Washington DC, Fulbright Scholarship, Visiting Foreign Judicial Fellowship, Washington DC.
- 10 September 2018, Commonwealth Magistrates Judges Association, Becoming Stronger Together 18th Triennial Conference, Southbank, Brisbane.
- 3 October 2018, Law Council of Australia, 2018 National Family Law Conference, Brisbane.
- 2–5 November 2018, 31st LAWASIA Conference, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
- 28 March 2019, Judicial Education Day for the Judges of the Federal Court, Brisbane. Paper presented: The Interaction in the United States between the Judiciary and the other two Branches of Government.
- 29 March 2019, Ipswich District Law Association, Continuing Professional Development Seminar, Brisbane. Paper presented: Proposed Changes to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia and the Family Court of Australia.
Judge Susan Purdon-Sully
Professional and other memberships
- Honorary membership of the Queensland Law Society
- International Academy of Family Lawyers
- Judicial Conference of Australia
- Australian Association of Women Judges
- Women Lawyers Association of Qld Inc
- International Association of Women Judges
- Supreme Court of Queensland Library Collection Selection Sub-Committee
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 13 August 2018, Judicial Education, Dr Robert Simon, Managing difficult personalities in the courtroom.
- 16 August 2018, TASC National, Toowoomba.
- 2 August 2018, Supreme Court Library subcommittee meeting.
- 19 October 2018, 2018 Clayton Utz Alexander Christy Freeleagus Oration, The Influence of Hellenistic Philosophy upon Christianity, Banco Court, Supreme Court of Queensland.
- 31 October 2018, Damien Greer Lawyers 6th Anniversary Cocktail Party.
- 14 November 2018, 2018 Legal Profession Breakfast.
- 14 November 2018, Supreme Court Library Queensland, end of year celebration.
- 29 November 2018, Guest Speaker, Family Relationship Centre Wine and Cheese Networking Event.
- 4 December 2018, Downs & South West Qld Law Association Dinner.
- 10 December 2018, joint swearing in ceremony of Chief Justice Alstergren and Deputy Chief Justice McClelland (by video link).
- 12 December 2018, traditional exchange of Christmas greetings between the judiciary, the Attorney and members of the legal profession and formal presentation of newly-appointed Queen’s counsel in the Banco Court.
- 12 December 2018, announcement of new Queen’s Counsel appointments, Federal Court of Australia.
- 21 December 2018, Christmas Morning Tea hosted by Justice Collier, Federal Court Judge.
- 6 February 2019, presentation: Strangulation Domestic Violence and the legal response, Magistrates Court.
- 11 February 2019, Opening of the Law Year Church Service, Salvation Army Brisbane City Temple.
- 14 February 2019, welcome ceremony for Judge John Allen QC and Judge Vicki Loury QC, Banco Court.
- 8 March 2019, farewell ceremonial sitting for Justice Murphy of the Appeals Court.
- 13 March 2019, presentation by Dr Griffin: Strangulation Markers.
- 11 April 2019, AAWJ meeting (proposed amendments to rules).
- 18 April 2019, Easter Morning Tea hosted by Justice Collier, Federal Court Judge.
- 8 May 2019, AAWJ meeting.
- 16 May 2019, Supreme Court Library subcommittee meeting.
- 17 May 2019, Queensland’s Women Judicial Officers, Drinks and Conversation, Banco Court, Supreme Court of Queensland.
- 1 June 2019, JRCLS Pacific Region, Sydney.
Judge Margaret Cassidy
Professional and other memberships
- Bar Association of Queensland
- Women’s Lawyers Association of Queensland
- Australian Association of Women Judges
- Judicial Conference of Australia
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 19 July 2018, Family Law Pathway Network and Fraser Coast Family Relationship Service, Networking, Nibbles and Drinks, Hervey Bay.
- 20 September 2018, Family Law Pathway Network, breakfast seminar and community sector meet and greet, Bundaberg.
- 8–10 October 2018, Federal Circuit Court Plenary, Sydney.
- 22–23 November 2018, National Judicial College of Australia, New Perspectives on Courtroom Leadership, Sydney.
- 26–27 February 2019, Queensland Magistrates Specialist Domestic and Violence conference, Brisbane. Conference mentor/panellist/chair.
- 8 March 2019, Ceremonial sitting for Justice Murphy’s retirement.
- 17 May 2019 Co-host for the Queensland’s Women Judicial Officers drinks, Brisbane
- 23 May 2019, Family Law Pathway Network and Fraser Coast Family Relationship Service, nibbles and drinks, Bundaberg.
Judge Evelyn Bender
Professional and other memberships
- Australian Association of Women Judges
- International Association of Women Judges
- Judicial Conference of Australia
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
- Judicial Advisory Group on Family Violence
- Magistrates’ Court of Victoria Family Violence Taskforce
- Family Violence Committee
- Family Law Information Sharing Protocol Committee FCoA, FCC, MCV, CCV
- Law Institute of Victoria, Young Lawyers’ Journal Interview
- Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties Bill Steering Committee
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 2–3 October 2018, Council of Australian Governments, National Summit on Reducing Violence against Women and their Children, Adelaide.
- 8–11 October 2018, Federal Circuit Court of Australia, Plenary, Sydney.
- 20 February 2019, Law Institute of Victoria, Family Law Intensive, Melbourne. Paper presented: News from the Bench.
Judge Anne Demack
Professional and other memberships
- Bar Association of Queensland
- Australian Association of Women Judges
- Family Law Practitioners Association
- Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 13 July 2018, welcoming ceremony for Judge Betts, Newcastle, via video link from Rockhampton.
- 30 July 2018, opening of the law year, church service, Rockhampton.
- 29 August 2018, Mackay Family Pathways, Twilight Seminar, guest speaker.
- 1 September 2018, Mackay District Law Association, Annual Dinner.
- 18 September 2018, Reader Continuing Professional Development Event, Bar Association of Queensland, Brisbane.
- 9 November 2018, Women Lawyers Association of Queensland, Meet and Greet, Rockhampton.
- 21 November 2018, Central Queensland Family Law Pathways Network Event, Rockhampton, guest speaker.
- 16 March 2019, Queensland Law Society Symposium, Brisbane, guest speaker.
- 21 March 2019, Women Lawyers Association of Queensland, breakfast, Rockhampton.
- 26 June 2019, swearing-in ceremony for Magistrate Hartigan, Brisbane, via video from Mackay.
Judge Terry McGuire
Professional and other memberships
- Family Law Practitioners Association of Tasmania
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 2 August 2018, Tasmanian Pathways, meeting with judicial officer, Launceston, Tasmania, Question and Answer.
- 16 August 2018, Tasmanian Pathways, meeting with judicial officer, Burnie, Tasmania, Question and Answer.
- 23 August 2018, Relationships Australia, meeting with judicial officer, Launceston, Tasmania, General Discussion.
- 29 March 2019, Family Law Practitioners (Tasmania), Launceston, General Discussion.
- 3 May 2019, Attorney-General’s Department, National Leaders Forum, Sydney, Family Law in the Future.
Judge Barbara Baker
Professional and other memberships
- Family Law Practitioners Association of Tasmania
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 15 August 2018, Family Law Practitioners Association. Paper presented: S.128 of the Evidence Act.
Judge Josephine Willis AM
Professional and other memberships
- Australian and International Association of Women’s Judges
- Australian Institute of Judicial Administration
- Judicial Council of Australia
- Bar Association of Queensland, Associate Member
- Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
- Family Law Practitioners Association Queensland
- North Queensland Women’s Legal Service (Life Member)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Access to Justice Committee and Reconciliation Action Plan Committee Chair (Federal Circuit Court)
- Judicial Wellbeing Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- National Policy Advisory Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Mentor, Far North Queensland Law Association, student mentor program.
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 13 July 2018, Judge Betts ceremonial sitting.
- 17 July 2018, opening of the law year, church service.
- 3 August 2018, admission ceremony for student mentee.
- 13 August 2018, judicial education, by video from Cairns.
- 8 September 2018, Queen’s Birthday Honour celebration, Cairns.
- 29 November 2018, judicial education, Child Dispute Services.
- 13 December 2018, judicial education, Judicial Wellness.
- April 2019, judicial education, Family Violence Cross-examination.
- 28 May 2019, National Reconciliation Week event, Cairns registry.
- 29 May 2019, Far North Queensland Women of the Bench and Bar event, promoting the Reconciliation Action Plan 2019–2021, Cairns.
Judge Leanne Turner
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 6 March 2019, Relationships Australia Queensland, Family Law Pathways Network Training, Brisbane.
- 13 March 2019, Dr Adam Griffin, Strangulation Evidence and Markers, Brisbane.
- 31 May 2019–4 June 2019, Family Law Conference, Law on the Lounge Part XVIII, Bali, Indonesia.
Judge Alexandra Harland
Professional and other memberships
- Chair, Judicial Education Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- Legal Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- National Policy and Advisory Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- Digital Court Program Judicial Reference Group (Federal Court, Family Court and Federal Circuit Court)
- Rules Harmonisation Project (Family Court and Federal Circuit Court)
- Bench Book working group (Family Court and Federal Circuit Court)
- Convenor, group for new judges (Federal Circuit Court)
- Australian Chapter, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
- President Elect, Australian Chapter, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
- International Committee, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
- Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
- Editorial Board Member, Family Law Review
- Australian Women Judges Association
- International Women Judges Association
- International Family Judges Association
- Judicial Conference Australia
- Family Law Section, Law Council of Australia
- Law Society of NSW (Honorary Judicial Member)
- Women’s Lawyers Northern Territory (Honorary Judicial Member)
- Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration Incorporated
- National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (United States of America)
- International Committee, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (United States of America)
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 24 July 2018, meet and greet, Family Law Pathways Network, Barwon South West, Warrnambool.
- 16–18 August 2018, session chair: A little bit of Family Violence, AFCC Australian Chapter Conference, Adelaide.
- 24 August 2018, Country Magistrates’ Conference. Paper presented: Family Law Tips and Sample orders.
- 8 October 2018, joint ceremonial sitting for Chief Justice Pascoe’s retirement.
- 16 October 2018, meet and greet, Family Law Pathways Network, Barwon South West, Warrnambool.
- 17 October 2018, meeting with senior members of the Department of Health and Human Services and the DHHS liason officer, Warrnambool Magistrates Court.
- 23 October 2018, tour and meeting with Monash Law School City Legal Clinic.
- 12 November 2018, court visit for Monash Law School Legal Clinic, including meeting Judge Harland, Family and Advocacy Support Services, Registrars, Child Dispute Services, observing the Duty List and the Contravention List.
- 12 November 2018, Law Institute of Victoria, Family Law Section, Courts Practice Committee.
- 15 November 2018, Victoria Legal Aid, Family and Advocacy Support Services presentation, Melbourne registry.
- 15 November 2018, AFCC Australia Chapter, Plus One Dr Watts ‘Addiction: Why Care?
- 22–23 November 2018, New Perspectives on Courtroom Leadership, National Judicial College of Australia, Sydney.
- 10 December 2018, swearing in, Justice Alstergren and Justice McClelland, Melbourne.
- 6 February 2019, Ceremonial sitting for Judge Blake, Melbourne.
- 7 February 2019, meeting with Sharyn Roache, Judicial Research Project.
- 27 February 2019, Ceremonial sitting for Justice Williams, Melbourne.
- 4 March 2019, session chair, IT systems and support, Judicial Education Sessions, Melbourne registry.
- 4 March 2019, court hosted Thai delegation of Judges.
- 18 March 2019, Ceremonial Sitting for Justice Wilson, Melbourne.
- 26 March 2019, meet and greet, Family Law Pathways Network, Barwon South West, Warrnambool.
- 23 April 2019, session chair, Family Violence Cross-Examination legislation, Judicial Education Sessions, Melbourne registry.
- 29 April 2019, tour of Deakin Law School Legal Clinic, and talk with law clinic students.
- 15 May 2019, panel member for Law Psychology Seminar, Cross-discipline collaboration for children in family law, Deakin Law School, Law Week Event.
- 20 June 2019, webinar, Domestic Violence and Communication Technology, Women’s Legal Service NSW.
Judge Salvatore Vasta
Professional and other memberships
- Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration
- Judicial Conference of Australia
- Bar Association of Queensland
- Medico-Legal Society of Queensland
- International Association of Prosecutors – honorary member and member of the IAP Senate
- National Case Management Judge (Federal Circuit Court)
- National Practice Area Committee ((Federal Circuit Court)
- Education Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- Judicial Wellbeing Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 9–14 September 2018, International Association of Prosecutors, annual conference, Prosecutorial Independence – the cornerstone of justice to society. Johannesburg-Sandton, South Africa.
- 27–29 August 2019, Argos, Youth, Technology and Virtual communities conference, Gold Coast. Panel member.
Judge Timothy Heffernan
Professional and other memberships
- Judicial College of Australia
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 8–11 October 2018, Federal Circuit Court Plenary, Sydney.
Judge Alister McNab
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 21–22 September 2018, Hong Kong International Commercial Law Conference, Hong Kong.
- 7–10 June 2019, 10th Annual Family Law Conference, Bali, Indonesia. Paper presented: Family violence and the use of circumstantial evidence in family law proceedings.
Judge Amanda Tonkin
Professional and other memberships
- Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
- Judicial Conference of Australia
- ACT Bar Association
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 22–27 July 2018, National Judicial College of Australia, Judicial Orientation Program, Broadbeach, Gold Coast.
Judge Gregory Egan
Professional and other memberships
- Judicial Associate Member, Bar Association of Queensland
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 28 March 2019, Federal Circuit Court, welcome ceremony for Judge Andrew, Townsville (attended by video conference).
- 10 May 2019, Judge Egan, Migration Lawyers’ Social, Judges’ Conference Room, Brisbane.
- 29 May 2019, Federal Circuit Court, Judicial Education Seminar on Migration Law, Perth (attended by video conference).
- 16–21 June 2019, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Taiwan Legal Forum, Taipei, Taiwan.
- 17 June 2019, call upon Chief Justice Hon. Chen-Huan Wu, Constitutional Court, Taipei, Taiwan.
- 18 June 2019, call upon Mr Di-His Huang, Deputy Director General of Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Justice; Call upon Dr Szu-chien Hsu, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Republic of China, Ministry of Justice, Taipei, Taiwan.
- 19 June 2019, visit to the Academy for Judiciary; and visit to the Agency against Corruption, Ministry of Justice, Taipei, Taiwan.
- 21 June 2019, call upon Mr Chan-Chun Chou, President of the Judges Academy; and presented paper: International Arbitration in a Non-Convention Context, National Chengchi University Seminar, Taipei, Taiwan.
Judge Christopher Kendall
Professional and other memberships
- Law Society of Western Australia
- Judicial Conference of Australia
- West Australian Bar Association
- Editorial Board of Intellectual Property Forum: The Journal of the Intellectual Property Society Australia and New Zealand Inc.
- Judicial Education Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- Legal Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- Judicial Wellbeing Committee, Judicial Health and Wellbeing Coordinator, Perth (Federal Circuit Court)
- Remuneration Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- National Practice Advisory Committee (Federal Circuit Court)
- Case Management Judge, Western Australia (Federal Circuit Court)
- Supervisor, Honour Thesis, Tracy Hollington, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle
- Editorial Board, Intellectual Property Forum
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 8 August 2018, Law Society of Western Australia, The Sir Ronald Wilson Lecture, presentation by the Honourable Justice Jeremy Curthoys, Perth.
- 20 August 2018, Supreme Court of Western Australia, Judicial Welcome for Chief Justice Peter Quinlan, Perth.
- 29 August 2018, Swearing in of Administrative Appeals Tribunal Member, Brigadier Gerry Warner, Perth.
- 27 September 2018, The Western Australian Chapter of the Hellenic Australian Lawyers Association, Robert French AC Oration by the Honourable Justice James Edelman, Aristotle and the Equity of Statute Law, Perth.
- 5 November 2018, Swearing in of Administrative Appeals Tribunal Senior Member, Richard Ellis, Perth.
- 21 November 2018, Law Society of Western Australia, Chair of the Advocacy: A View from the Bench Seminar, Perth.
- 29 November 2018, Law Council of Australia, Presidents Dinner, Canberra.
- 22 March 2019, Meeting (with Justice Jill Williams) with Law Council of Australia Executive, Sydney.
- 27 May 2019, Federal Court of Australia, Lecture by the Honourable Justice Neil McKerracher, Migration Law Update: Recent Cases of Relevance to the Federal Circuit Court, Perth.
Judge Julia Baird
Professional and other memberships
- Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand
- Women Lawyers’ Association NSW
- Australian Association of Women Judges
- Copyright Society of Australia
- New South Wales Bar Association
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 22–27 July 2018, National Judicial Orientation Program, National Judicial College of Australia, Broadbeach, Gold Coast.
- 22 August 2018, Intellectual Property National Pilot Scheme Seminar, organised by AIPPI Melbourne (and by video link to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth). Presented AIPPI Inaugural lecture: The National IP Pilot Scheme of the Federal Circuit Court.
- 7–9 September 2018, IPSANZ annual conference, Queenstown, New Zealand.
- 13 September 2018, ‘Day with Judges’ session in the Bar Practice Course session, Sydney, Judge and mentor.
- 25 September 2018, 2018 Bench and Bar lunch, Sydney.
- 26 September 2018, IPSANZ Twilight Seminar, speech by Dr W Rothnie of the Vic Bar Copyright and Design Update 2018, Sydney.
- 8–11 October 2018, Federal Circuit Court Plenary, Sydney.
- 27 November 2018, Copyright Society of Australia, End of year event, ‘In conversation with Kate Haddock and Judge Julia Baird: A whole New World? How far have we come since the Copyright Act Amendment (Digital Agenda) Act 2000’, Chippendale.
- 22–24 January 2019, Australian Bar Association, Advanced Trial Advocacy Intensive course, Melbourne.
- 21 February 2019, launch of NSW Women Lawyers Achievement Award 2019 and 2019 Program, Sydney. Co-panellist of past award recipients discussing career journey with Fay Calderone (Partner, Hall & Wilcox), Maureen Peatman (Partner Hunt & Hunt) and Marina Brizar (Playfair Visa and Migration Services).
- March 2019, published in the March issue of the Intellectual Property Forum [Article] In Conversation With The Honourable Judge Julia Baird – interview by Fiona Philips.
- 1 April 2019, Australia’s Trade Marks and Designs Consultation Group, Sydney.
- 14 May 2019, inaugural Sydney IP Profession Roundtable/feedback session on the Federal Circuit Court with Judge Julia Baird, Sydney.
Judge Guy Andrew
Professional and other memberships
- Queensland Bar Association
Conferences or events attended during the year
- 22–25 May 2019, North Queensland Law Association, 2019 Offermans Partners NQLA Conference, Townsville. Paper presented: Advocacy 2.0 (jointly with His Honour, Judge Middleton).
Appendix 5 - External involvement
The Federal Circuit Court of Australia has a number of strategies for strengthening its partnerships with clients and other stakeholders, such as legal practitioners, non-government organisations, and government agencies and departments.
External stakeholders include:
- the Attorney-General’s Department
- the Department of Human Services
- other government departments and agencies
- child welfare authorities
- legal services commissions and community legal centres
- law societies and the Law Council of Australia
- community-based and non-government organisations, and
- the Australian Federal Police.
Relationships with these groups are managed either by the Chief Judge, other judges or the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Principal Registrar on behalf of the Chief Judge.
There are several established channels through which external stakeholders may inform the Court and affect its processes and client service delivery, including the following.
Australian Institute of Family Studies
The Australian Institute of Family Studies was established under s 114B of the Family Law Act and is a forum for exchange of information and research.
Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
The Chief Judge meets regularly with the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia.
Local registry consultations and other activities for improved service delivery
Registry staff continue to regularly engage with numerous external groups such as local family law pathways networks, legal aid, bar associations and law societies, local practitioners and practitioners’ associations, community legal centres, family relationship centres, community organisations and support groups, child protection agencies, family violence committees and organisations, state courts, universities and police services. Registries also continued to work with the Family Advocacy and Support Services program, with the aim of enhancing their presence in the registries.
Appendix 6 - Freedom of Information
The Freedom of Information Act 1982 does not apply to any request for access to documents of the Court unless the document relates to matters of an administrative nature. While there is no definition within this Act or the Privacy Act of the term ‘matters of an administrative nature’, the High Court decision in Kline v Official Secretary to the Governor-General and Another [2013] HCA 52 in their joint judgment considering this term pointed out:
[47],…the only documents which courts and specified tribunals, authorities and bodies are obliged to open to increase public scrutiny are those documents relating to the management and administration of registry and office resources.’
There were six Freedom of Information application requests made to the Court for the period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.
Agencies subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 are required to publish information to the public as part of the Information Publication Scheme. This requirement, in Part II of the Freedom of Information Act, has replaced the former requirement to publish a Section 8 Statement in an annual report.
An agency plan showing what information is published in accordance with the Information Publication Scheme requirements is accessible from agency websites.
The Freedom of Information and the Information Publication Scheme agency plan for the Federal Circuit Court can be found on the Court’s website at www.federalcircuitcourt.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/fccweb/contact-us/freedom-of-information-and-information-publication-scheme.
Access to information outside the Freedom of Information Act
Rule 2.08 of the Federal Circuit Court Rules 2001 provides that a search of the Court’s records may be undertaken by the Attorney-General (in family law proceedings), a party, a lawyer for a party, a child representative (in family law proceedings) or a person granted leave by the Court or a registrar. Leave may be granted if a proper interest is shown and may be subject to conditions. In relation to access to documents in general federal law proceedings, the Court applies the same rule as that prescribed by the Federal Court; see rule 2.08B. This rule identifies certain categories of court documents as being available for inspection without leave.
There are other legislative provisions that limit publication in various proceedings; for example, s 121 of the Family Law Act 1975, s 110X of the Child Support (Registration and Collection) Act 1988 and s 91X of the Migration Act 1958. In addition, Part 6A of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999 gives the Court general power to suppress/prohibit publication of evidence in respect of general federal law provisions (Part XIA of the Family Law Act 1975 deals with suppression and non-publication orders in proceedings under that Act).
Enquiries concerning access to documents or Freedom of Information matters generally should be directed to:
Chief Executive Officer and Principal Registrar
Federal Circuit Court of Australia
GPO Box 9991
Canberra ACT 2601
or emailed to customer.service@federalcircuitcourt.gov.au.
Further advice on making Freedom of Information requests may be obtained by calling
Categories of documents
The Federal Circuit Court registries maintain the following categories of documents on behalf of the Court:
- documents relating to matters heard by the Court including applications, affidavits, transcripts, orders and copies of judgments
- registers and indexes of matters coming to the Court, and
- general correspondence.
The Federal Circuit Court maintains the following categories of documents:
- general correspondence
- documents concerning the development and implementation of policy, guidelines and procedures, and
- documents concerning the Court’s administrative and financial operations.
Other documents
The Court holds and makes available on request a range of documents including brochures, fact sheets and general information leaflets. These are available on the Court’s website at www.federalcircuitcourt.gov.au.
Privacy
The Court holds personal information for two purposes:
- to help resolve and, if necessary, determine matters before the Court (the judicial purpose), and/or
- to assist in administration (the administrative purpose).
Information used for judicial purposes is held in case files and the case management computer system. This information is exempt from the Privacy Act 1988 and Freedom of Information Act 1982. Other statutory provisions and non-publication powers of the Court, designed to protect parties and their children, are applicable to this information.
Information used for administrative purposes is collected as part of the day-to-day running of the Court. Many documents for administrative purposes are held by the Federal Court as the provider of the corporate services for the Court.
The collection, storage and disclosure of this information is governed by the provisions of both the Privacy Act and the Freedom of Information Act.
The Australian Government Agencies Privacy Code came into force on 1 July 2018. Agencies are required to take reasonable steps to implement practices, procedures and systems to ensure compliance with the code.
Consistent with these requirements, the Court has the following in place:
- Privacy Policy
- Privacy Impact Assessment Policy, and
- Data Breach Response Plan.
During 2018–19, a Privacy Awareness eLearning module was released to be completed by all staff.
In addition, the Court has a designated Privacy Champion and Privacy Officer.
Appendix 7 - Contact details
Chambers of the Chief Judge
Chief Judge William Alstergren
GPO Box 9991
Melbourne VIC 3001
Office of the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Registrar
Virginia Wilson
GPO Box 9991
Canberra ACT 2601
National Enquiry Centre
The National Enquiry Centre (NEC) is the entry point for all family law telephone and email enquiries for Federal Circuit Court and Family Court matters. The NEC provides information and procedural advice, forms and brochures, and referrals to community and support services. NEC staff cannot provide legal advice.
Open from 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday
PO Box 9991
Parramatta NSW 2124
Phone:
International:
TTY/voice calls: Contact the National Relay Service on
Website
www.federalcircuitcourt.gov.au
www.comcourts.gov.au
(Commonwealth Courts Portal)
General federal law enquiries: customer.service@federalcircuitcourt.gov.au
Family law enquiries: enquiries@familylawcourts.gov.au
Commonwealth Courts Portal: support@comcourts.gov.au
Communication enquiries: communication@familylawcourts.gov.au
Social media
Twitter: www.twitter.com/fedcctcourtAU
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/federalcircuitcourt
Family law registries
* These registries share counter services with the Federal Court of Australia
|
Location |
Address |
|---|---|
|
Australian Capital Territory |
|
|
Canberra* |
Nigel Bowen Commonwealth Law Courts
|
|
New South Wales |
|
|
Albury |
463 Kiewa Street (L1)
|
|
Dubbo |
Cnr Macquarie and Wingewarra Streets
|
|
Lismore |
Westlawn Building (L2)
|
|
Newcastle |
61 Bolton Street
|
|
Parramatta |
Garfield Barwick Commonwealth Law Courts
|
|
Sydney |
Lionel Bowen Commonwealth Law Courts
|
|
Wollongong |
43 Burelli Street (L1)
|
|
Northern Territory |
|
|
Darwin* |
Supreme Court Building
|
|
Queensland |
|
|
Brisbane |
Harry Gibbs Commonwealth Law Courts
|
|
Cairns |
Commonwealth Government Centre (L3 & 4)
|
|
Rockhampton |
Virgil Power Building (GF)
|
|
Townsville |
Commonwealth Centre (L2)
|
|
South Australia |
|
|
Adelaide |
Roma Mitchell Commonwealth Law Courts
|
|
Tasmania |
|
|
Hobart* |
Edward Braddon Commonwealth Law Courts
|
|
Launceston |
ANZ Building (L3)
|
|
Victoria |
|
|
Dandenong |
53–55 Robinson Street
|
|
Melbourne |
Owen Dixon Commonwealth Law Courts
|
General federal law registries
All enquiries should be directed to the relevant registry. Contact details follow.
TTY/voice calls: Contact the National Relay Service on
|
Location |
Address |
Contact details |
|---|---|---|
|
Australian Capital Territory |
||
|
Canberra |
Nigel Bowen Commonwealth Law Courts
|
Ph: (02) 6267 0566
|
|
New South Wales |
||
|
Sydney |
Law Courts Building (L17)
|
Ph: (02) 9230 8567
|
|
Northern Territory |
||
|
Darwin |
Supreme Court Building (L3)
|
Ph: (08) 8941 2333
|
|
Queensland |
||
|
Brisbane |
Harry Gibbs Commonwealth Law Courts (L6)
|
Ph: (07) 3248 1100
|
|
South Australia |
||
|
Adelaide |
Roma Mitchell Commonwealth Law Courts (L5)
|
Ph: (08) 8219 1000
|
|
Tasmania |
||
|
Hobart |
Edward Braddon
|
Ph: (03) 6232 1715
|
Appendix 8 - Information required by other legislation
|
Legislation |
Page reference |
|---|---|
|
Courts Administration Legislation Amendment Act 2016 |
69 |
|
Courts Legislation Amendment (Judicial Complaints) Act 2012 |
53 |
|
Family Law Act 1975 |
10, 15, 53, 54, 87 |
|
Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999 |
14, 19, 46, 53, 58, 60, 87 |
|
Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 |
53 |
|
Freedom of Information Act 1982 |
53, 87, 88 |
|
Judicial Misbehaviour and Incapacity (Parliamentary Commissions) Act 2012 |
53 |
|
Privacy Act 1988 |
17, 88 |
|
Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 |
58, 59, 68 |
|
Public Service Act 1999 |
58, 59, 69 |