| Federal Court of Australia | |
| Practice Notes issued by the Chief Justice |
| No. 8. Assisted dispute resolution |
| Status: | Revoked |
| Date issued: | 8 April 1994 |
| Date revoked: | 25 September 2009 |
| Version history: |   8 April 1994 7 May 1990 |
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.
M.E.J. BLACK
Chief Justice
8 April 1994