The planned merger of the Federal Circuit Court and the Family Court will do nothing to cut waiting times of up to three years unless the government puts more money into the family law system, according to the nation’s peak legal body.
The Law Council of Australia says the merger may end up putting even more pressure on the Circuit Court, which handles 90 per cent of family law cases and is regarded as the workhorse of the federal judiciary.
It also said “the quality of the family law justice system would reduce” if the government went ahead with its pledge not to appoint any more judges to the family court division of the merged court.
Council president Morry Bailes said the system “continually struggles to meet the needs of the community”.