International Programs

Work with international judiciaries

The Federal Court is an international exemplar of judicial development and, as Australia's largest superior court, has dedicated significant resources to facilitating cooperation between superior courts around the world. The Court's objective in collaborating with other jurisdictions is to promote respect for the rule of law, judicial independence and the development of judicial services, particularly in the Asia and Pacific region.

The International Programs Unit manages the Court's international relations portfolio, enabling the Federal Court to offer a unique and complementary combination of project management and technical expertise.

Having collaborated with 52 countries across almost 500 activities, the Court has significant experience designing and managing judicial development initiatives around the world. These initiatives have supported almost 10,000 people in various areas and resulted in a number of beneficial outcomes including improvements in: access to justice, efficiency in the administration of justice, competence of officers to deliver justice, transparency, accountability and governance, the availability of technical resources and local capacity to lead and manage change. More information on country-specific activities and achievements can be found in the activities by country section.

The Court currently manages the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funded Pacific Judicial  Integrity Program (PJIP) in collaboration with the Papua New Guinea Centre for  Judicial Excellence (PNGCJE), and has Memoranda of Understanding with the  Supreme Court of Indonesia and the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New  Guinea. Under the guidance of the Chief Justice, the International Cooperation Committee and the Principal Registrar, the Court's international programs draw upon the leadership and expertise of judges and judicial administrators within and beyond the Court, as well as an extensive network of experienced judicial development specialists around the world. With its wealth of judicial development and support experience, the Federal Court is peerless in its ability to assist its partners to adapt, implement and embed solutions to problems common to all courts committed to good governance, accessibility and the rule of law.

The Court's projects are funded externally by a range of donors including; Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), the Commonwealth Secretariat, United Nations Democracy Fund and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Activities by Country

• Activities in Asia
• Activities in the Pacific
• Activities elsewhere
• Previous regional activities

Areas of Experience & Materials

• Governance
  • Independence
  • Integrity
  • Accountability and transparency
  • Leadership and change management
• Access to justice
• Substantive law
• Systems, practice and procedure
  • Court and judicial administration
  • Case management
  • Court-annexed mediation
  • Judicial benchbooks
• Professional development