Cooperation

Our relationships are essential to help us achieve our purpose and deliver on our key activities and performance measures. Successful engagement and collaboration helps to contribute to more effective connection of services, better cooperation and sharing of information and improved service delivery.

As independent courts and a tribunal, we each have different stakeholders and partnerships that underpin the broader entity structure. For the Courts, relationships are managed either by the Chief Justice, Chief Judge, other judges or the respective CEO and Principal Registrar on behalf of the Chief Justice and Chief Judge. For the National Native Title Tribunal, relationships are managed by the President and Native Title Registrar.

Over the four years of this plan, the Courts and the National Native Title Tribunal will focus on sustaining engagement and cooperation by continuing to build on our highly successful partnerships and working collaboratively to build new ones.

The Federal Court of Australia engages in a wide range of activities with the legal profession, including regular user group meetings. The aim of user groups is to provide a forum for court representatives and the legal profession to discuss existing and emerging issues, provide feedback to the Court and act as a reference group. Seminars and workshops on issues of practice and procedure in particular areas of the Court’s jurisdiction are also regularly held. Registries also host advocacy sessions, bar moot courts and moot competitions and assist with readers’ courses.

Court facilities are made available for many events for the legal community, including lectures, seminars and ceremonies. Registries are also anticipating recommencing hosting visiting delegations from overseas courts who are interested in learning more about the Court’s operations. The Court is also an active supporter of legal education programs, both in Australia and overseas.

The Court also regularly engages with the Law Council of Australia, the Australian Bar Association, and the various state and territory bar associations and law societies.

The Federal Court of Australia continues to coordinate a number of projects and activities to support governance, access to justice and the rule of law within neighbouring judiciaries. By collaborating with other courts, predominantly across the Asia Pacific region, the Court is able to contribute to a number of our partners’ important reform and development priorities. Detailed information on this is published in the Court’s annual report.

The Director Security as the Courts’ Sheriff and Marshal, works closely with the Australian Federal Police and the police services of the states and territories. This is particularly important in the execution of orders emanating from family law matters such as the recovery of children, the arrest of persons and the prevention of parties or children leaving Australia while custody or property orders are before the Courts. The Marshal and Sheriff also works closely with the Australian Federal Police, the police services of the states and territories and the Attorney-General’s Department on a range of information exchange arrangements in order to improve understanding of the risks associated with individuals coming to court.

The National Native Title Tribunal continues to work with stakeholders, particularly representative bodies, governments at all levels, peak bodies and prescribed bodies corporate. The President, Members and Native Title Registrar have established a fresh engagement agenda to implement its new function (post-determination assistance), as well as continued targeted engagement to ensure the most effective use of resources. The National Native Title Tribunal conducts information sessions around the country to assist stakeholders in understanding their legal obligations and the need for compliance with the future act provisions of the Native Title Act.

The National Native Title Tribunal also actively fosters its invigorated working relationship with the Federal Court. A protocol facilitates the performance of Court and Tribunal native title roles and builds upon this close existing relationship.

The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) have numerous external stakeholders, including state and territory Bars and Law Societies, the Australian Bar Association, the Law Council of Australia and the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia. Close engagement and ongoing collaboration also occurs with Legal Aid organisations, women’s legal groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, migrant and refugee services, community legal services, child welfare agencies, the Australian Federal Police, state and territory police, overseas jurisdictions, Relationships Australia, Family Relationship Centres, alternative dispute resolution providers and judicial education and research organisations.

There are several established channels through which external stakeholders may inform the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) and provide feedback, including the following:

• The Australian Institute of Family Studies was established under section 114B of the Family Law Act and is a forum for exchange of information and research.
• The Chief Justice meets regularly with key representatives of national and state bar associations and law societies and women’s legal groups. In addition, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) has established relationships with bar associations, law societies and key stakeholders in regards to migration and other general federal law matters.

Judges regularly present to law societies and bar associations in their respective jurisdictions, as well as hold informal meetings with members of the legal profession and participate in stakeholder meetings.

Staff continue to regularly engage with numerous external groups such as local family law pathways networks, legal aid, bar associations and law societies, local practitioners and practitioners’ associations, community legal centres, family relationship centres, community organisations and support groups, child protection agencies, family violence committees and organisations, state courts, universities and police services.

This diagram is a high-level depiction of the interconnection of relationships and stakeholders of the Courts and National Native Title Tribunal across the entity.

Figure 3: Federal Court of Australia entity stakeholders