Information on the particulars of the establishment, organisation, functions and powers of the Court is contained throughout this report. Information on the Court’s arrangements for consultation with users of the Court about the Court’s operations is also included in Chapter 3 of the report. The following lists the categories of documents maintained by the Court, the Court’s facilities for public access and the Court’s Freedom of Information (FOI) procedures and relevant contacts for inquiries.

Categories of documents

The Federal Court Registries maintain the following categories of documents:

· documents relating to matters heard by, or applications or appeals lodged with, the Court including applications, notices of appeal, affidavits, pleadings, transcripts and copies of judgments;

· registers and indexes in bound volumes of matters coming to the Court (documents dealing with matters coming to the Court are also generated by computer);

· statistical information;

· documents concerning staff matters;

· documents concerning the administrative and financial aspects of the Court's operations;

· internal working documents and correspondence; and

· registry manuals.

The District Registries also maintain a computer database containing details of matters commenced in the Court since 1 January 1984.

The following categories of documents are open to public access according to an enactment (other than the Freedom of Information Act 1982) where the access is subject to a fee or other charge:

· documents filed in a proceeding or purported proceeding (available upon application, subject to the Rules of Court and upon payment of the fees set out in the Federal Court Regulations).

The following categories of documents are available for purchase by the public in accordance with arrangements referred to below:

· transcripts of proceedings (enquiries may be made at the relevant District Registry to ascertain the service provider for the relevant State or Territory);

· copies of documents filed in the Registry (available upon application, subject to the Rules of Court, and upon payment of the fees set out in the Federal Court of Australia Regulations); and

· reasons for judgment (available upon application and payment of the fees set out in the Federal Court of Australia Regulations).

The following categories of documents are open to public access according to an enactment (other than the Freedom of Information Act) free of charge on request:

· Registers of proceedings in the Court.

The following documents are available free of charge upon request:

· procedural guides to:

o commencing an action in the Federal Court of Australia (for litigants in person);

o appearing in Court in relation to a creditor's petition (for unrepresented debtors);

o completing certain forms prescribed by the Rules of Court;

o filing documents in the Court by facsimile transmission.

· a list of Full Court sittings (published yearly);

· Court lists (published daily);

· various practice notes made by the Chief Justice; and

· Video-conferencing Protocol.

Facilities for access

Facilities to examine documents and to obtain copies are available at the Court's registries as initial contact points. Registers open to public inspection are available at all initial contact points. Transcript is available from the relevant reporting service provider.

FOI procedures and initial contact points

FOI contact officers will assist applicants to identify the particular documents they seek. The only officer authorised to deny access to documents is the Registrar of the Court.

The availability of some documents under the Freedom of Information Act will be affected by section 5 of that Act, which states that the Act does not apply to any request for access to a document of the Court unless the document relates to matters of an administrative nature.

Enquiries concerning access to documents or other matters relating to freedom of information should be directed to the District Registrar of the relevant District Registry or, in the case of the Principal Registry, to the Registrar. The addresses are listed on page iv at the front of this report.

Access............................................... 44

Community relations....................... 48

Interpreters..................................... 46

Remission or waiver of court fees.... 46

Remote hearings............................. 47

User groups.................................... 48

Access to Justice

Reform activities............................. 50

Administration of the Court................. 59

Accessibility................................... 72

Advertising and marketing services.. 62

Archives and records management.. 71

Commonwealth Disability Strategy.. 70

Consultants..................................... 62

Corporate Services......................... 60

Environmental management............. 72

External Scrutiny............................. 61

Financial Accounts.......................... 60

Financial management..................... 60

internal audit program..................... 61

Intranet........................................... 70

Judges’ Committees........................ 59

Judges’ Meetings............................ 60

Library and information services...... 70

procurement................................... 62

Property management..................... 71

Purchasing................ See Procurement

Risk management............................ 61

Security.......................................... 72

Technology services........................ 62

Administrative Appeals Tribunal.......... 11

President.......................................... 7

Presidential Member............... 4, 5,6,7

review of refusal to waive fees......... 47

Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 26

Admiralty

Act................................................. 26

Appeals

From Supreme Courts.................... 27

From the Federal Magistrates Court 3, 27

Full Court sittings............................ 35

Workload....................................... 34

Asia Pacific Judicial Reform Forum..... 52

Asia Pacific Mediation Forum Conference 54

Australian Competition Tribunal.......... 10

Activities...................................... 131

Decisions of Interest..................... 131

Deputy President...................... 4, 5, 6

Functions and powers................... 130

Membership and staff................... 131

Practice and procedure................. 130

President.......................................... 6

Workload Trends......................... 131

Australian Industrial Court..................... 3

Australian Industrial Relations Commission

President.......................................... 6

Australian Law Reform Commission

part-time Commissioner.................... 6

Part-time Commissioner.................... 5

Australian Workplace Agreements...... 64

Bankruptcy

Harmonised bankruptcy rules.......... 18

Jurisdiction..................................... 26

Caseflow management........................ 30

Disposition of matters other than native title 31

Casetrack..................................... 25, 63

review............................................ 64

Certified Agreement............................ 64

Chief Justice. 3, 4, 8, 10, 29, 50, 59, 155

Commonwealth Courts portal....... 16, 63

Community relations........................... 48

Activities........................................ 49

Complaints

About the Australian Competition Tribunal 131

About the Copyright Tribunal........ 132

About the Court's processes........... 50

About the Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal 133

About the Federal Police Disciplinary Tribunal 134

Activities...................................... 132

Decisions of Interest..................... 132

Deputy President.............................. 6

Functions and powers................... 131

Membership and staff................... 132

Practice and procedure................. 131

President.......................................... 5

Registry.......................................... 11

Workload Trends......................... 132

Corporations

Jurisdiction............................... 26, 27

Decisions of interest.................... 32, 135

Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal 10, 44, 132

President.......................................... 5

Activities...................................... 133

Decisions of Interest..................... 133

Functions and powers................... 132

Membership and staff................... 133

Practice and procedure................. 133

Disability Strategy............................... 70

eCourt.......................................... 15, 63

eFiling...................................... 15, 16

eSearch.......................................... 15

eCourtroom.................................... 63

eFiling................................................ 63

Equal employment opportunity

statistics........................................ 167

eSearch.............................................. 63

Federal Court (Corporations) Rules.... 11

Federal Court of Australia

Establishment.................................... 3

financial statements......................... 73

Functions and Powers....................... 3

Judges.............................................. 3

Jurisdiction..................................... 25

Management structure................... 105

Objectives........................................ 3

Officers of the Court....................... 11

Outcome And Output Structure.. 3, 61

Registries........................................ 10

Staff......................................... 11, 65

Staff delegated powers................... 11

Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 3, 10, 11, 28, 33, 59, 110

Amendments.................................. 27

Federal Court of Australia Regulations 28, 46

Federal Court of Bankruptcy................ 3

Federal Court Rules...................... 11, 28

Federal Magistrates Court 3, 11, 19, 27, 30, 31, 33, 34

Federal Police Disciplinary Tribunal..... 10

Activities...................................... 134

Deputy President.............................. 6

Functions and powers................... 133

Membership and staff................... 134

Practice and procedure................. 133

President.......................................... 5

Freedom of Information Statement.... 171

Full Court

sittings............................................ 35

Hearings

Full Court....................................... 35

High Court of Australia............. 3, 11, 32

Human resources

Staffing overview............................ 65

Workplace relations........................ 64

Human Resources............................... 64

Commonwealth Disability Strategy.. 70

Occupational health and safety........ 68

Training and development............... 65

Workplace bargaining..................... 64

Workplace diversity........................ 69

Industrial Relations Court of Australia

Chief Justice..................................... 4

Judges...................................... 4, 5, 6

Information about the Court................ 47

brochures....................................... 47

judgments....................................... 47

Media and televised judgments........ 48

website........................................... 47

Intellectual property............................ 26

International work of the Court

Asia Pacific Judicial Reform Forum. 52

Asia Pacific Mediation Forum Conference 54

Cook Islands.................................. 53

Fiji................................................. 54

Interim Regional Judicial Development Program 53

Library services.............................. 55

Micronesia..................................... 53

Pacific Governance Support Program 54

Papua New Guinea......................... 53

Tonga....................................... 53, 54

Indonesia........................................ 50

intranet............................................... 70

Judges

Appointment..................................... 3

Commissions and appointments..... 3, 8

Removal........................................... 3

Retirement.................................... 3, 8

Judgments

Delivery.......................................... 31

see Decisions of interest.................. 32

Jurisdiction........................................... 3

Changes in 2005–06....................... 27

list of statutes................................ 109

Native Title Act.............................. 38

Legal education and reform

Judges and Court involvement in..... 50

Legislative changes............................. 18

Mediation

Assisted Dispute Resolution............ 42

Migration Act....................... 26, 37, 111

migration matters

workload........................................ 36

Migration matters................................ 19

Appeals.......................................... 37

Migration Matters

Appeals.......................................... 37

Migration Review Tribunal

Jurisdiction of Court to review......... 26

National Native Title Tribunal.............. 26

Native Title

Act................................................. 26

case management............................ 39

conference of experts...................... 39

Decisions of interest........................ 42

mediation........................................ 40

National allocation protocol............ 38

National Native Title Tribunal.......... 11

Regional case management.............. 40

Workload................................. 38, 41

Performance indicators....................... 18

Practice and procedure

Reforms in 2005-06....................... 45

Practice Notes.............................. 28, 29

Refugee Review Tribunal

Jurisdiction of Court to review......... 26

Registrar

Appointment................................... 10

Registrars of the Court...................... 106

Registries............................................ 10

Self -Represented Litigants

Assistance...................................... 45

Supreme Court of Fiji

Judge........................................... 4, 6

Supreme Court of Norfolk Island.... 3, 27

Chief Justice..................................... 6

Judge............................................ 4,5

Supreme Court of the ACT

Additional Judge................... 4, 5, 6, 7

Chief Justice..................................... 4

Taxation............................................. 26

Time standards................................... 20

Delivery of judgments..................... 32

disposal of matters.......................... 20

Disposal of matters other than native title 31

Tonga Court of Appeal

Judge............................................... 5

Trade Practices Act............................ 25

Tribunals.......................................... 130

Management of cases..................... 44

User groups........................................ 48

Visitors to the Court........................... 55

Website........................................ 16, 47

awards........................................... 16

Workload

Impact of Federal Magistrates Court 30

Issues and developments................. 15

Management of cases by tribunals... 44

Migration matters............................ 19

Native title matters.......................... 38

Native title matters, see Native Title 38

Trends............................................ 18

Work with international jurisdictions 50

Workload in appellate jurisdiction....... 34

Overview....................................... 35

Workload in original jurisdiction.......... 32

Age of pending workload................ 33

Incoming work............................... 32

Matters completed.......................... 33

Matters on hand............................. 33

Matters transferred or remitted........ 32

Workload Statistics.......................... 113