Appeal to Supreme Court by non-biological mother against decision that court did not have jurisdiction to deal with application seeking return of child removed to Pakistan. Appeal allowed. Background to the appeal The girl at the centre of this appeal,…
Family lawyers in Wollongong frustrated after Queensland gets judge
Lawyers in Wollongong have expressed frustration at the appointment of a Federal Circuit Court judge to Queensland as the New South Wales region struggles with unprecedented demand. Attorney General George Brandis this week announced the appointment of a new judge…
The men hijacking family law reforms
On the second-last sitting day before Christmas, Senator John Madigan introduced cabinet secretary and former adviser to John Howard, Senator Arthur Sinodinos, to representatives from a group called the Family Law Reform Coalition. They presented him with a policy proposal…
Judge returns to where career started to lead family law
SHE may now be one of the Federal Circuit Court’s most experienced judges, but it was in Rockhampton where Judge Anne Demack began her legal career. Now she’s returned, and will be based in Rockhampton as the city’s first ever…
Lives on hold: George Brandis blamed for family court delays
Adam Robb* was just five years old when his father showed him a gun while they were talking via a webcam. Now an affectionate, lanky 12-year-old, Adam should be getting excited about starting high school in a few months, like…
Family Court bottlenecks must be solved to ease pressure on families
CHRISTMAS trees sparkle, carols play their familiar tunes and children tear wrappings from gifts. This is the image so often seen in Christmas movies, on cards and, if we are very lucky, in our own lounge rooms. Sadly, for too…
Failure to replace judges, surge in domestic violence cases straining Federal Circuit Court
The family law jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia is at breaking point, according to the legal profession, fuelled by a surge in domestic violence reporting and the ice scourge gripping regional areas. Lawyers in New South Wales…
Parents unhappy with Independent Children’s Lawyer practice
Clients have expressed dissatisfaction with the Independent Children’s Lawyer practice, prompting the need for a family law reform, according to a new study. The Family Law Express study, Neither Seen Nor Heard: Australia’s Child Protection Conundrum, focuses on the experiences…
Strapped family law registries face closure
Some of the busiest family law registries in the country face closure as the Federal Circuit Court grapples with a funding crisis and a blowout in court waiting times that has left some waiting more than three years for a…
Family Court shake-up ‘bizarre’, say lawyers
Family lawyers have described as “bizarre” a proposal for the Federal Court to take over the running of the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court and say the reforms will do nothing to fix the serious backlog of family law…