1. This notice advises the profession of the administrative arrangements for the handling of Corporations matters (being matters under the Corporations Act 2001, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission Act2001 and the Cross Border Insolvency Act 2008) in the Queensland District Registry of the Court. Corporate insolvency (not personal bankruptcy) is included. In order to facilitate the Corporations jurisdiction, the Court has established special listing arrangements to facilitate ease of access to the Court and Corporations Panel Judges in the hearing and determination of matters.
2. This notice takes effect from 13 March 2009.
Urgent Corporations Matters
3. All urgent Corporations applications, including ex parte applications, will be heard by the rostered Corporations Duty Judge. There are three Corporations Duty Judges in Queensland. They and their Associates’ telephone numbers are:
Dowsett J
Associate:
(07) 3248 1131
Greenwood J
Associate:
(07) 3248 1151
Logan J
Associate:
(07) 3248 1121
4. The identity of the rostered Corporations Duty Judge may be ascertained by reference to the published Court List on the Court’s website (www.fedcourt.gov.au) or by telephoning the Registry (07 3248 1100). Urgent applications may be arranged on any Court sitting day by contacting the associate to the rostered Corporations Duty Judge.
5. For urgent Corporations matters out of business hours or on days other than Court sitting days, a party may contact the Duty Registrar by 0407 469 171. Practitioners should identify Corporations matters as such. The Registrar will immediately liaise with the rostered Corporations Duty Judge.
Delegated Jurisdiction
6. Registrars have power to deal with the matters set out in Schedule 2 of the Federal Court (Corporations) Rules 2000. For ease of reference a copy of Schedule 2 of those Rules is attached.
7. Corporations matters within the delegated jurisdiction of a Registrar are initially made returnable before a Registrar on Fridays at 9.30 am. The Registrar deals with matters within his or her delegation provided that he or she considers it appropriate to do so.
8. The Registrar may adjourn to the rostered Corporations Duty Judge, or allocate to the docket of a Corporations Panel Judge, matters which he or she considers inappropriate to be dealt with under delegation.
Other Matters
9. Matters which are neither urgent nor within the delegated jurisdiction (but including all applications to review decisions of Registrars exercising delegated jurisdiction) are, in the first instance, made returnable before the rostered Corporations Duty Judge. The party commencing a matter is to nominate the return date at the time of filing the relevant process, such date being a Friday not more than 21 days after such filing.
Corporations Panel
10. All Corporations matters which are not dealt with by the rostered Corporations Duty Judge or by a Registrar will be allocated to the docket of a Corporations Panel Judge. The Corporations Panel in Queensland consists of the following Judges:
11. After allocation, all arrangements in relation to any interlocutory application should be made by contacting the Associate to the docket Judge. Notices of motion or other applications may then be filed with return dates inserted. In general, a party who proposes to contact the docket Judge should first discuss suitable dates with other parties. Should the docket Judge be unavailable, a party may approach the rostered Corporations Duty Judge.
Corporations List
12. The rostered Corporations Duty Judge sits on Fridays from 9.30 am to deal with matters referred from the Registrar’s list and such other matters as are returnable or fixed for hearing on those days.
