Practice
Note No. 8 issued on 7 May 1990 is revoked and the following
Practice Note No. 8 is substituted.
The Federal Court offers litigants
a system of court annexed mediation, Assisted Dispute
Resolution (ADR), should they wish to avail themselves
of it. Parties may request mediation or the Judge might
suggest it at the directions hearing. The Federal Court's
system of ADR ordinarily consists of reference to a Registrar
of the Court who sits as a mediator in a confidential
conference with the parties. If mediation is successful,
the parties may then have their agreement embodied in
a consent judgment.
Parties may be referred to a
listing conference under Order 10(1)(2)(h) with a view
to clarifying the issues and at which the possibility
of a mediated settlement may also be explored.
Parties do not lose their priority
in the hearing list should a mediation or listing conference
be conducted.
