Annual report [1997-98] - Family Court of Australia

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Part two – year in review by the Honourable Alastair Nicholson Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia 17
The Family Court of Australia – annual report 1997-98 In his review of the Family Court Professor Peter Coaldrake described it as a complex and still evolving organisation. These characteristics were particularly apparent during the year in review in which, once again, a number of challenges presented themselves and several significant changes were implemented. In addition to its domestic profile, the Court continues to be highly regarded internationally, particularly for its initiatives in the areas of dispute resolution and case management. Judges and staff have been called upon to assist with the development of counselling services in several overseas jurisdictions, and the Court’s family violence, indigenous and ethnic awareness policies attract considerable interest. The killing of a woman outside the Dandenong registry late last year reinforced the concerns we all have about the prevalence of family violence and made us all painfully aware once again of how fragile are the lives of many who seek the Court’s assistance. Implementation of the Coaldrake recommendations The recommendations made by Professor Peter Coaldrake following completion of his review of the senior administrative services of the Court were considered during the year. His report, made available toward the end of the 1996-97 financial year, suggested that the Court’s organisational structure needed to be simplified and that the structure should recognise the ‘fusion’of the legal and social science operations in relation to staffing and service delivery. The vast majority of recommendations in the report, which provided a comprehensive and achievable blueprint for change, have been accepted by the Court and the necessary staffing changes have been put in place. We have been pleased to welcome Mr Andrew Phelan to the newly created position of General Manager Corporate Services. Mr Ron Eather (formerly Southern Area Manager) now occupies the new position of General Manager Customer Services and Mr Mario Cattapan has replaced him as Southern Area Manager. Ms Jackie Klarkowski, Northern Area Manager, has taken 12 months leave of absence and Ms Jennie Cooke, formerly Deputy Director of Court Counselling (North), is now acting as Northern Area Manager. We would like to thank Professor Coaldrake for his contribution and I have no doubt that the changes will improve levels of service delivery. Report of the Evaluation of Simplified Procedures Committee The Committee responsible for the Evaluation of Simplified Procedures completed its report during the year. It was most comprehensive in its coverage, and its content and recommendations benefited from a considerable amount of consultation with judges, Court staff and members of the legal profession. The task involved the statistical analysis of existing Court data and several specific surveys were commissioned to complement existing information or answer previously unanswered questions. I would particularly like to thank Justice Sally Brown, the Committee’s convenor, for her hard work and dedication to this extremely complex task. The evaluation was fraught with difficulties, not the least of which were the negative attitudes of some members of the legal profession to the very introduction of simplified procedures. Justice Brown was well 18
Page 2: FAMILY COURT of AUSTRALIA Family Co
Page 5 and 6: The Family Court of Australia - ann
Page 21: The Family Court of Australia - ann
Page 73 and 74:
The Family Court of Australia - ann
Page 75 and 76:
TheFamilyCourt of Australia - annua
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
The Family Court of Australia- annu
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
The Famil yCour to fAustra lia -ann
Page 125 and 126:
TheFamilyCourtofAustralia-annualrep
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135 and 136:
Page 137 and 138:
Page 139 and 140:
Page 141 and 142:
Page 143:
show all

Annual report [1997-98] - Family Court of Australia

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?