The Federal Circuit Court of Australia welcomes the official opening today of the Commonwealth Law Courts building in Rockhampton. This new registry now provides a purpose-built and stand-alone premises for people in the Rockhampton community who need assistance in resolving their family law disputes.
The Federal Government provided $2.6 million funding as part of the October 2020 Budget to enable this long-term project come to fruition which involved the relocation of the registry, and refurbishment and construction works, to ensure the new premises are fit for purpose.
Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, the Hon Will Alstergren said that the dedication of significant resources is a reflection of the importance of safety for families who are involved in family law proceedings.
"This is an important step and part of the Court's ongoing campaign to address safety of children and vulnerable parties. The prevalence of family violence in our society remains a national disgrace. The fact that one woman is killed every 9 days, one child is killed every 14 days and one man is killed every 29 days as a result of domestic violence - is horrific. When one adds to this the countless thousands of others who are physically and emotionally injured - these statistics are totally unacceptable. It is vital that we as a community do everything we can to eradicate family violence from our society," Chief Justice Alstergren said from Rockhampton today.
Last week, the Court announced the latest round of training for judges, registrars and family consultants in the identification of coercive control and other patterns of family violence. This is one of many family-violence focused initiatives currently underway, including; the harmonised Notice of child abuse, family violence or risk, the ground-breaking Lighthouse Project, National Judicial College of Australia training, small claims property list (PPP500), co-location of police and departmental families and communities personnel in court registries, and the COVID-19 list. Underpinning all family violence related initiatives is the Courts' Family Violence Best Practice Principles and the Family Violence Plan.
"A demonstrative benefit arising from last year's upheaval was in the Court's ability to swiftly adapt, and enable hearings to be conducted electronically. This allowed parties, especially those with safety concerns, to appear before the Court via their phone, tablet, or laptop, from a safe location, whether that be their friend's house, their lawyer's office or even from their car," Chief Justice Alstergren said.
"There were and continue to be additional benefits, particularly for rural and regional locations who could access the Court without the time and expense spent on travelling to court locations. Whether appearing in-person or electronically, whether located in metropolitan or regional locations, the Court is constantly looking at ways to provide a safe environment for all Australians," the Chief Justice added.
This new Court building finally provides a proper premises for one of the Court's most experienced Judges, Judge Demack, who has served the Court for over 12 years and has a long-standing commitment to the Rockhampton community.
The Court is thankful to the local and state courts for their cooperation over many years.
