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

The Family Court of Australia – annual report 1997-98
Freedom of information
The Court handled six Freedom of Information matters during the past financial year.
Arrangements for outside participation
The Family Court regularly consults with outside organisations:
■ The Family Law Council, established by the Attorney-General under s115 of the
Family Law Act, confers with Family Court personnel in the course of its
consideration of particular aspects of family law.
■ The Australian Institute of Family Studies was established under s114B of the Family
Law Act. The Institute is a separate entity but there is some contact with the Court
over the collection of information and the exchange of research.
■ The Chief Justice’s Consultative Council meets quarterly with the Family Law Section
of the Law Council of Australia, national legal aid representatives, and representatives
of non-government organisations and the Attorney-General’s Department.
In addition, persons or bodies outside the Family Court’s administration may participate in
its policy formulation by making representations in writing to the Family Law Council or
to the Court.
Categories of documents
The Court maintains the following categories of documents:
■ general correspondence
■ documents concerning the development and implementation of policy
■ documents concerning administration and financial aspects of the operation of the
Court and its registries
■ documents relating to research projects including statistical information gathered by
Court staff
■ lists of matters awaiting final determination in chronological order
■ case files, comprising all documents filed (for example, formal applications and supporting
affidavits) and records of all orders made in Family Court proceedings
■ an alphabetical index in card form, or a computerised recording system, in each
registry, of all proceedings commenced or continued in that registry
■ counsellor interview records (card and/or computer system), which records particulars
of any persons presenting themselves to the counselling section of the Court, whether
voluntary or under Court direction
■ forms of non-payment of filing fees with the results endorsed.
Other documents
The following documents are made available to individual customers of the Court (otherwise
than under the Freedom of Information Act) free of charge upon request:
Prescribed brochures
■ Marriage, Families and Separation (required for distribution under Order 25 Rule 3 of
the Family Law Rules)
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