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Copyright

ISSN 1444–6707 (print version)

ISSN 1447–5065 (online version)

© Commonwealth of Australia 2015

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Enquiries

If you would like to comment on this annual report, or have any queries, please contact:

Family Law Courts National Communication
Federal Circuit Court of Australia
GPO Box 9991
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Ph: +61 2 6243 8690
Fax: +61 2 6243 8737
Email: communication@familylawcourts.gov.au

Alternative formats

An electronic version of this report is available on the Federal Circuit Court website at: http://www.federalcircuitcourt.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/fccweb/reports-and-publications/annual-reports/

The online version contains links to the 2014–15 Attorney-General's Portfolio Budget Statements.

Acknowledgments

This report reflects the efforts of many people. Special thanks go to the Court staff involved in contributing and coordinating material, as well as the following specialist contractors:

Designed by: Papercut Graphic Design

Printing: Paragon Printers

This annual report is printed on Monza Recycled Satin Artboard (cover) and Monza Recycled Satin (inside pages).

Monza Recycled is Certified Carbon Neutral by The Carbon Reduction Institute (CRI) in accordance with the global Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO 14040 framework. Monza Recycled contains 55 per cent recycled fibre, and 45 per cent elemental chlorine free pulp. All virgin pulp is derived from well-managed forests and controlled sources. Monza Recycled is manufactured by an ISO 14001 certified mill.

Letter of transmittal

2 September 2015

 

Senator the Honourable George Brandis QC
Attorney-General
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

 

Dear Attorney,

Federal Circuit Court of Australia 2014-15 Annual Report

I have pleasure in submitting the Annual Report of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia for the period 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015, in accordance with section 117 of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999, which requires that I provide you with a report of the management of the administrative affairs of the Court and the financial statements in respect of that financial year.

The report has been prepared in accordance with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet's Requirements for Annual Reports.

This is the Court's 16^th annual report.

Yours sincerely,

[signed in hard copy]

John Pascoe AO CVO
Chief Judge

Reader's Guide

The purpose of this report is to inform the Attorney-General, the Parliament, court clients and the general public about the performance of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia in the financial year ending 30 June 2015.

Prepared according to parliamentary reporting requirements, the report outlines the goals in the Court's Portfolio Budget Statements and Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements and relates to the results achieved during the year to those goals. It provides information on the Court's performance in relation to its stated outcome:

To provide the Australian community with a simple and accessible forum for the resolution of less complex disputes within the jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia.

PART 1: The Chief Judge's year in review comprises the Chief Judge's overview highlighting significant issues and initiatives the Court has undertaken during the reporting year as well as joint initiatives of the Federal Circuit Court, the Family Court and the Federal Court.

PART 2: Overview of the Court provides information about the Court, including its role, functions, changes to jurisdiction during 2014–15 rule amendments during 2014–15, and organisational structure.

PART 3: The work of the Court in 2014–15 reports on how the Court performed during the period against the outcome and the related program. The performance reports are based on the outcome and program framework and performance information in the 2014–15 Portfolio Budget Statements and 2014–15 Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements for the Attorney-General's portfolio.

PART 4: Management and accountability provides information on corporate governance, external and internal scrutiny, human resource management, financial management, purchasing, consultants and contract management, legal services, asset management and other activities relevant to the general administration of the Court.

PART 5: Financial statements for the year ending 30 June 2015 contains the audited financial statements for 2014–15.

PART 6: Appendices includes the resource statement, staffing profile, freedom of information data, information about committees and judicial activities, and contact details.

The following references will assist readers to locate information in the annual report:

• Table of contents—page IV
• List of requirements—page 262
• Alphabetical index—page 267

An electronic version of this annual report is available from the Federal Circuit Court website at http://www.federalcircuitcourt.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/fccweb/reports-and-publications/annual-reports/

Acronyms and abbreviations

AAT	Administrative Appeals Tribunal
AFCC	Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
AGIMO	Australian Government Information Management Office
AIJA	Australasian Institute for Judicial Administration
ALRC	Australian Law Reform Commission
AM	Member of the Order of Australia
ANAO	Australian National Audit Office
AO	Officer of the Order of Australia
APS	Australian Public Service
ATSI	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
AUSLII	Australasian Legal Information Institute
AFSA	Australian Financial Security Authority
AWA	Australian Workplace Agreement
BSDO	Business System Development Officer
CALD	Culturally and Linguistically Diverse
CCP	Commonwealth Courts Portal
CDS	Child Dispute Services
CEO	Chief Executive Officer
CLC	Commonwealth Law Courts
CMAG	Chief Executive Officer's Management Advisory Group
COMP	Court Ordered Mediation Program
CSSMG	Client Service Senior Manager's Group
DHS	Department of Human Services
EIU	Early Intervention Unit
EL	Executive Level of the Australian Public Service
EMS	environmental management system
ESD	ecologically sustainable development
FAIM	Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management
FCA	Federal Court of Australia
FCC	Federal Circuit Court of Australia
FCCA	Citation for all decisions of the Court
FCoA	Family Court of Australia
FLPN	Family Law Pathways Network
FLSS	Family Law Settlement Service
FOI	freedom of information
GST	goods and services tax
HR	Human Resources
IAA	Immigration Assessment Authority
IACA	International Association for Court Administration
ICL	Independent Children's Lawyers
ICT	Information, Communications and Technology
KPI	Key Performance Indicator
MRT	Migration Review Tribunal
NAIDOC	National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee
NLA	National Legal Aid
NEC	National Enquiry Centre
NSO	National Support Office
PBS	Portfolio Budget Statements
PGPA	Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013
PSM	Public Service Medal
PMDS	Performance Management and Development System
QPILCH	Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House
RAP	Reconciliation Action Plan
RRT	Refugee Review Tribunal
SES	Senior Executive Service of the Australian Public Service
SFC	Senior Family Consultant
SSAT	Social Security Appeals Tribunal
WAN	Wide Area Network
WCAG	Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Glossary of court-specific terms

Affidavit	A written statement by a party or witness. An affidavit is the main way of presenting the facts of a case to the Court.
Appeal	An application to a higher court to review a decision of a lower court or tribunal.
Appellant	A person who files an appeal with a court.
Applicant	The individual, organisation or corporation who/which applies to the Court to commence legal proceedings against another person or persons. Also known as 'plaintiff' in admiralty and corporations matters and in some other courts.
Application	The document that starts most proceedings in the Court.
Case	The matter before the Court.
Circuit	A place the Court regularly visits in rural and regional Australia.
Dispute resolution	Procedures and services to help resolve disputes before or during a court hearing without the need for a judicial decision. It may include mediation, conciliation or counselling.
Docket system	A system by which each case is allocated to a particular judge who generally manages the matter from commencement to disposition.
eLodgment	The procedure of electronically lodging general federal law documents in the Federal Circuit Court.
eFiling	The procedure of electronically lodging a document through the Commonwealth Courts Portal.
Filing	The process of the Court accepting a document or documents lodged by a party to a proceeding.
In personam	An action or right against a specific person.
In rem	An action against certain property.
Judgment	The final order or set of orders made by the Court after a hearing, often accompanied by reasons which set out the facts and law applied in the case. A judgment is said to be 'reserved' when the Court postpones the delivery of the judgment to a later date to allow the presiding judicial officer time to consider the evidence and submission. A judgment is said to be 'ex tempore' when the presiding judicial officer gives the judgment orally at the hearing or very shortly thereafter.
Jurisdiction	The extent of legal authority or power of the Court to apply the law.
Litigants	Individuals, organisations or companies who/which are the parties to a proceeding before the Court.
Orders	A court order is a document that sets out what the parties must do. Orders can be urgent, interim (temporary) or final. Courts usually have wide-ranging powers to make orders to enforce judgments.
Parties	People involved in a court case. Applicants, respondents and defendants are generally called 'parties'.
Pro bono	Legal work performed without charge for litigants who cannot afford the cost of a lawyer and are not eligible for legal aid. Pro bono legal work is done at a substantially reduced rate or in some circumstances, at no cost.
Proceeding	The regular and orderly progression of a matter including all acts and events between the time of commencement and judgment.
Registrar	A court lawyer who has been delegated power to perform certain tasks on behalf of a judge; e.g. grant divorces, sign consent orders and determine the next step in a case.
Regulations	The Federal Court and Federal Circuit Court Regulations 2012 and the Family Law Regulations 1984 which prescribe the filing and other fees that must be paid for proceedings in the Court.
Respondent	A party to court proceedings against whom relief is claimed.
Rules	Rules made by the judges that set out the procedures for conducting a proceeding in the Court. The rules of the Federal Circuit Court are the Federal Circuit Court Rules 2001 and the Federal Circuit Court (Bankruptcy) Rules 2006.
Self-represented litigant	A party to a matter who does not have legal representation and represents themself before the Court.
Supplementary document	Any document lodged against an existing cause of action that does not attract a fee and does not require follow up action by court staff once lodged.