FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

ANNUAL REPORT 2004-2005

APPENDIX 5 WORKLOAD STATISTICS

The statistics in this appendix provide comparative historical information on the work of the Court, including certain areas of the Court’s jurisdiction.

When considering the statistics it is important to note that matters vary according to the nature and complexity of the legal issues or evidence in dispute.

During the reporting year, the Court fully implemented a new case management system, Casetrack, which replaced the Court’s existing FEDCAMS system. Casetrack has been used to produce the statistics used in the 2004-05 report. It is important to note that the counting methodology of Casetrack is fundamentally different to FEDCAMS in that Casetrack classifies matters in the Court according to eleven main categories, described as “causes of action”. This differs from FEDCAMS where matters in the Court were counted as “filings” categorised according to the legislation they were filed under (more than 150 different pieces of legislation make up the Court’s jurisdiction). Accordingly, cases in Casetrack are counted differently, so that the statistics in this year’s report may be different to those in previous years. In addition, the Court is still developing and refining the reports to be produced in Casetrack, so in a very small number of areas it has not been possible to produce statistics to report on aspects of the Court’s work this year.

 

 

 

Table 5.1 – Summary of Workload Statistics
Original and Appellate Jurisdiction

Filings of Major COA's Including Appeals and Related Actions
National Totals by Financial Year

Year
2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05
Cause of Action
 
 
Total COA's (inc. Appeals and Related Actions)
Filed
5394
4528
4846
6020
4517
Finalised
5314
4697
5219
6046
4289
Current
4349
4186
3816
3789
3995
 
Corporation (inc. Appeals and Related Actions)
Filed
30
362
468
645
1005
Finalised
41
249
436
555
772
Current
34
147
179
269
489
 
Bankruptcy (inc. Appeals and Related Actions) 
Filed
1224
613
540
495
418
Finalised
1817
736
574
517
374
Current
370
247
278
191
233
 
Native Title (inc. Appeals and Related Actions)
Filed
149
129
71
78
61
Finalised
110
114
61
67
97
Current
805
820
859
841
805
 
Total COA's (inc. Appeals and Related Actions and excluding Corporations, Bankruptcy and Native Title)
Filed
3991
3424
3767
4802
3033
Finalised
3346
3598
4148
4907
3046

Current

3140

2972

2500

2488

2468

 

 

 

Table 5.2 – Summary of Workload Statistics
(excluding Appeals and related actions)

Filings of Major COA's including Appeals and Related Actions
National Totals by Financial Year
Year
2000-01
 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05
Cause of Action

 

 
Total COAs (ex. Appeals and Related Actions)
Filed
4943
3863
4139
5117
3133
Finalised
4879
4138
4526
5219
3112
Current
4110
3841
3457
3355
3354
 
Corporation (ex. Appeals and Related Actions)
Filed
25
358
466
635
986
Finalised
38
242
432
546
760
Current
28
144
178
267
480
 
Bankruptcy (inc. Appeals and Related Actions)
Filed
1196
558
485
448
349
Finalised
1784
693
526
464
318
Current
357
222
246
165
194
 
Native Title (ex. Appeals and Related Actions)
Filed
147
126
68
54
51
Finalised
108
112
58
60
80
Current
796
810
849
814
785
 

Total COAs (ex. Appeals and Related Actions and excluding Corporations, Bankruptcy and Native Title) 
Filed
3575
2821
3120
3980
1747
Finalised
2949
3091
3510
4149
1954

Current

2929

2665

2184

2109

1895

 

 

 

 

Table 5.3 – Summary of Workload Statistics
Appeals and Related Actions only

Filings of Appeals and Related Actions
National Totals by Financial Year
Year
2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05
Cause of Action
 
Total Appeals and Related Actions 
Filed
451
665
707
903
1384
Finalised
435
559
693
827
1177
Current
239
345
359
434
641
 
Corporations Appeals and Related Actions
Filed
5
4
2
10
19
Finalised
3
7
4
9
12
Current
6
3
1
2
9
 
Bankruptcy Appeals and Related Actions 
Filed
28
55
55
47
69
Finalised
33
43
48
53
56
Current
13
25
32
26
39
 
Native Title Appeals and Related Actions 
Filed
2
3
3
24
10
Finalised
2
2
3
7
17
Current
9
10
10
27
20
 
Total Appeals and Related Actions - excluding Corporations, Bankruptcy and Native Title
Filed
416
603
647
822
1286
Finalised
397
507
638
758
1092

Current

211

307

316

379

573

 

 

 

 

Figure 5.1

Matters filed 2001-01 to 2004-05

The increase in filings for 2003-04 was largely attributed to matters remitted from the High Court of Australia. A total of 1,727 matters were remitted, mostly migration applications.

 

 

 

Figure 5.2
 
Matters filed and finalised 2000-01 to 2004-05

The number finalised refers to those matters finalised in the relevant financial year, regardless of when they were originally filed.

 

 

 

Figure 5.3
 
Age and number of current matters at 30 June 2005

A total of 3,995 matters remain current as at 30 June 2005. The age of these are shown in the graph above. There were 614 applications still current relating to periods before those shown in the graph including 410 matters transferred from the National Native Title Tribunal on 30 September 1998.

 

 

 

Figure 5.4
 
Time span to complete
Matters completed in the period 1 July 2000 to 30 June 2005

A total of 25,147 matters were completed during the 5 year period ended 30 June 2005 excluding Native Title matters. The time span, from filing to disposition of these matters, is shown in the graph above.

 

 

 

Figure 5.5
 
Time span to complete benchmark 2000-01 to 2004-05



The total number of matters (including appeals but excluding Native Title) completed for each of the last five years and the time span for completion are shown below.


Finalisations of Major COA's Including Appeals and Related Actions (excluding Native Title)
National Totals by Financial Year
Year
2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05
Percentage Completed
 
Benchmark
85%
85%
85% 85% 85%
Under 18 Months
4738
4170
4125 5499 3833
% of Total
91.0%
90.9%
79.9% 91.9% 91.1%
Over 18 Months
468
415
1036 487 376
% of Total
9.0%
9.1%
20.1% 8.1% 8.9%
Total COA's
5206
4585
5161 5986 4209

 

 

 

Figure 5.6

Bankruptcy Act matters filed 2000-01 to 2004-05


Age and number of current Bankruptcy Act matters at 30 June 2005

A total of 194 Bankruptcy Act matters remain current at 30 June 2005. The age of these are shown in the graph above. There were two matters still current relating to periods before those shown in the graph.

 

 

 

Figure 5.7
 
Corporations Act matters filed 2000-01 to 2004-05

 

Age and number of current Corporations Act matters at 30 June 2005

A total of 480 Corporations Act matters remain current at 30 June 2005. The age of these are shown in the graph above. There were two matters still current relating to periods before those shown in the graph.

 

 

 

Figure 5.8
  
Trade Practices Act matters filed 2000-01 to 2004-05



Age and number of Trade Practices Act matters current at 30 June 2005

A total of 452 Trade Practices Act matters remain current as at 30 June 2005. The age of these are shown in the graph above. There were 86 matters still current relating to periods before those shown in the graph.

 

 

 

Figure 5.9

Migration Act matters filed 2000-01 to 2004-05


These figures include migration applications filed under the Judiciary Act, Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act and Migration Act. Since 2 October 2001 almost all migration applications are filed under the Judiciary Act.

The increase shown for 2002-03 and 2003-04 is largely attributed to migration applications remitted from the High Court of Australia. A total of 637 were remitted in 2002-03 and 1,716 were remitted in 2003-04.

 

Age and number Migration Act matters current at 30 June 2005



A total of 318 Migration Act matters remain current as at 30 June 2005. The age of these are shown in the graph above. There were no matters still current relating to periods before those shown in the graph.

 

 

 

Figure 5.10

Admiralty Act matters filed 2000-01 to 2004-05



Age and number of Admiralty Act matters current at 30 June 2005

 

A total of 51 Admiralty Act matters remain current as at 30 June 2005. The age of these are shown in the graph above. There were no matters still current relating to periods before those shown in the graph.

 

 

 

Figure 5.11

Appeals and Related Actions filed 2000-01 to 2004-05




Age and number of Appeals and Related Actions current at 30 June 2005



A total of 641 appeals to the Full Court remain current as at 30 June 2005. The age of these are shown in the graph above. There were no appeals and related actions still current relating to the period before those shown in the graph.

 

 

 

Figure 5.12

Source of Appeals and Related Actions 2000-01 to 2004-05


 

APPEALS AND RELATED ACTIONS

Year
 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05
Source
          
Federal Court
 389 86.3% 534 80.5% 415 59.2% 461 51.1% 409 29.5%
FMC
 10 2.2% 78 11.8% 263 37.5% 423 46.8% 933 67.4%
Other Courts
52 11.5% 51 7.7% 23 3.3% 19 2.1% 43 3.1%
Total by Period
451   663   701   903   1385  


Notes:
1. The Federal Magistrates Court commenced on 23 June 2000.
2. Appeals from Supreme Courts have declined following the establishment of the ACT Court of Appeal in 2002.

 

 

 

Figure 5.13

Native Title Act matters filed 2000-01 to 2004-05




Age and number of Native Title Act matters remaining current at 30 June 2005

A total of 785 Native Title matters remain current as at 30 June 2005 (not including appeals). The age of these are shown in the graph above. There were 478 matters still current relating to periods before those shown in the graph.

More details on the statistics are included in Chapter 3 on page 35.