Cooperation

Cooperative relationships are essential to help achieve the Listed Entity’s purpose and deliver key initiatives and performance measures. Successful engagement and collaboration contribute to more effective connection of services, better cooperation and sharing of information and improved service delivery.

The Listed Entity will support each Court and the Native Title Tribunal to work with a broad range of stakeholders, including the legal profession, government agencies, other courts, non-Government organisations, First Nations individuals and representative bodies, research, academia, and community groups, to build partnerships to promote access to justice, early engagement with products and services, and more effective information to assist Court and Native Title Tribunal users.

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 Native Title Tribunal, relationships are managed by the President and Native Title Registrar.

The Courts engage 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 Courts and act as a reference group. The Listed Entity supports the Courts by facilitating seminars and workshops on issues of practice and procedure and assisting with the hosting of advocacy sessions, bar moot courts, moot competitions, and bar readers’ courses.

Court facilities are made available for many events for the legal community, including lectures, seminars, and ceremonies. Registries also host visiting delegations from overseas courts who are interested in learning more about the Courts’ operations.

The Director Security as the Courts’ Sheriff and Marshal, works closely with the Australian Federal Police and state and territory police. This is particularly important in the execution of orders originating from family law matters such as the recovery of children, the arrest of persons and the prevention of persons, including children, leaving Australia. The Sheriff and Marshal also works closely with these services to ensure that information relevant to the safety and security of the Courts and Native Title Tribunal staff and the community, is available at the appropriate time. In addition, the Marshal and Sheriff works with the Commonwealth’s domestic security service on developing concerns regarding the Courts’ and Native Title Tribunal’s security. The Sheriff and Marshal also maintain close and cooperative relationships with the Sheriffs of each State and Territory, to facilitate service and execute civil property, search and seize orders.

The Native Title Tribunal is in the process of settling its new strategic engagement strategy to better prioritise and manage its relationships with internal and external stakeholders. External stakeholders include Native Title parties and determined Native Title holders, Commonwealth agencies in the Native Title sector, representative bodies, industry bodies, state departments involved in resources and land use, local councils, and Prescribed Bodies Corporate. Stakeholder plans will also be developed in relation to specific programs and functions, including post-determination assistance work, the Indigenous Estate project, and the Preservation of Evidence projects. The Native Title Tribunal conducts information sessions on request to educate and assist stakeholders in understanding their legal obligations and participation in the native title system.

Registrars, Court Child Experts and other 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.

Through the engagement of Indigenous Family Liaison Officers, the FCFCOA (Division 1) and the FCFCOA (Division 2) have facilitated increased engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, court users and stakeholders. This has enabled a dialogue in relation to access to justice initiatives which will allow the Courts to continue to improve the levels of engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and ensure that initiatives are culturally responsive to the needs of these communities. The Listed Entity will support the Courts to continue to focus on the development of tailored responses and initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, as well as the expansion of the Indigenous Family Liaison Officer cohort to assist in achieving these important aims.

Listed Entity stakeholders

State and territory governments

• Child welfare agencies
• Courts
• Local government organisations
• State and territory governments – key policy departments

International

• Overseas jurisdictions particularly in relation to Hague matters
• International courts
• International partnerships and development

Private sector

• Alternative Dispute Resolution providers
• Consultative bodies
• Property service providers
• Family violence providers
• Professional service providers
• Migrant/refugee services
• Judicial education and research organisations
• Universities
• Research centres
• Peak bodies

Law enforcement

• Australian Federal Police
• State and Territory Police
• Security services

Australian government

• Attorney-General
• Attorney-General’s Department
• Department of Social Services
• Department of Finance
• Office of Parliamentary Counsel
• Department of Home Affairs
• Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Office for Women, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Relationships Australia
• Family Relationship Centres
• Workplace health and safety agencies
• Ombudsman
• Domestic Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner
• eSafety Commissioner
• National Indigenous Australians Agency
• Office of the Registrar Indigenous Corporations
• Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility
• Australian Public Service Commission

Australian public

• Litigants
• Migrants and refugees
• Special interest groups

First Nations

• First Nations individuals
• Prescribed Bodies Corporate
• Native Title Representative Bodies
• National Native Title Council

Legal community

• Other jurisdictions
• Australian Bar Association
• Law Council of Australia
• Bar associations
• Law societies
• Legal Aid
• Women’s legal groups
• Aboriginal Legal Services
• Community Legal Services
• Migrant/refugee services