Appendix 1

Additional information provided by the FCFCOA

The FCFCOA has identified guiding principles, significant initiatives’, and measures for success to support the delivery of each outcome. They are outlined are as follows:

Outcome 2

Apply and uphold the rule of law for litigants in the FCFCOA (Division 1) through the just, safe, efficient and timely resolution of family law matters, particularly more complex family law matters including appeals, according to law, through the encouragement of appropriate dispute resolution processes through the effective management of the administrative affairs of the Court.

Guiding principles

• deliver just, efficient and effective dispute resolution in family law matters
• ensure best practice in judicial and non-judicial processes
• protect vulnerable parties and children
• build public trust and confidence
• improve access to justice.

2026–27 significant initiatives

• continued focus on the family law case management pathway, including safety, timeliness, efficiencies, and the outcomes for at- risk litigants and children
• improved case management through early registrar triage and safely conducted dispute resolution, resulting in increased judicial time to focus on the most complex disputes and judgment writing
• ongoing revision and improvement of Lighthouse, focused on risk screening and assessment, safety planning and assisted service referral, and bespoke risk-based case management, including the high-risk Evatt List. Current funding until 30 June 2028
• continued engagement of Indigenous Family Liaison Officers and expansion of Specialist Indigenous Lists, providing tailored case management processes for matters involving Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander litigants and children. Majority of current funding until 30 June 2028
• continued expansion of the information sharing and co-location initiatives in family law
• ongoing review and refinement of the Court’s Magellan protocol and processes
• continued work to establish a common platform based on the modernised Digital Court File to incorporate case management, workload management and dashboards within a single application
• continued development of access to justice initiatives to assist culturally and linguistically diverse litigants, people with disability, people from regional, rural and remote areas, and other key cohorts
• ongoing education and training program for judicial officers and staff, to support working in a trauma informed, family violence informed, culturally responsive and disability, in an inclusive way.

Measures of success

• improved efficiencies, safety and access to justice in family law through clear and harmonised rules and case management procedures
• improved case management through early registrar triage and safely conducted dispute resolution, resulting in increased judicial time to focus on the most complex disputes and judgment writing
• reduced delays and backlogs of pending family law cases, assisting litigants to resolve their disputes in a just and timely manner with simplified court procedures
• timely delivery of judgments by both judges and registrars
• safe outcomes for children and families through increased information sharing and engagement with relevant stakeholders and other jurisdictions
• improved safety of at-risk parties and children exposed to family violence and other risks through early risk identification, safety planning and assisted referrals
• improved support and cultural responsiveness in proceedings involving Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander litigants and children
• improved accessibility and inclusiveness for parties who face additional access to justice barriers, including culturally and linguistically diverse litigants, people with disability, people from regional, rural and remote areas, and other key cohorts.

Outcome 3

Apply and uphold the rule of law for litigants in the FCFCOA (Division 2) through the just, safe, efficient and timely resolution of family law and general federal law matters according to law, through the encouragement of appropriate dispute resolution processes through the effective management of the administrative affairs of the Court.

Guiding principles

• deliver just, efficient, and effective dispute resolution in family law, migration and general federal law matters
• ensure best practice in judicial and non-judicial processes
• protect vulnerable parties and children
• build public trust and confidence
• improve access to justice.

2026–27 significant initiatives

• continued focus on the family law case management pathway, including safety, timeliness, efficiencies, and the outcomes for at- risk litigants and children
• improved case management through early registrar triage and safely conducted dispute resolution
• ongoing revision and improvement of Lighthouse, focused on risk screening and assessment, safety planning and assisted service referral, and bespoke risk-based case management, including the high-risk Evatt List. Current funding until 30 June 2028
• continued engagement of Indigenous Family Liaison Officers and expansion of Specialist Indigenous Lists, providing tailored case management processes for matters involving Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander litigants and children. Majority of current funding until 30 June 2028
• continued expansion of the information sharing and co-location initiatives in the family law jurisdiction
• ongoing review and refinement of case management processes and procedures in the migration jurisdiction to address the backlog of pending migration cases
• identification and implementation of tailored case management for different cohorts of migration and general federal law cases, and greater use of technology and areas of responsibility for registrars to manage the growing caseload of migration and general federal law cases as quickly as possible
• enhanced access to justice measures in migration, including better translation services, key information translated into different languages, and trialling of translation devices to support filing and other related enquiries
• enhanced general federal law registrar support for judges in time consuming interlocutory disputes and dispute resolution
• efficient and effective approach to Fair Work (Small Claims) matters within the Court’s fair work jurisdiction, including through an emphasis on dispute resolution processes and the effective use of registrar resources, to support an increasing caseload
• continued development of a common platform based on the modernised Digital Court File to incorporate case management, workload management and dashboards within a single application
• continued development and implementation of access to justice initiatives, including those designed to assist culturally and linguistically diverse litigants, people with disability, people from regional, rural and remote areas, and other key cohorts
• ongoing education and training program for judicial officers and staff, including to support working in a trauma informed, family violence informed, culturally responsive and disability, in an inclusive way.

Measures of success

• improved efficiencies, safety and access to justice in family law through clear and harmonised rules and case management procedures
• improved case management through early registrar triage and safely conducted dispute resolution, resulting in increased judicial time to focus on the most complex disputes and judgment writing
• reduced delays and backlogs of pending family law cases, assisting litigants to resolve their disputes in a safe, just and timely manner with simplified court procedures
• improved safety of at-risk parties and children exposed to family violence and other risks through early risk identification, safety planning and assisted referral
• improved support and cultural responsiveness in proceedings involving Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander litigants and children
• improved efficiencies and access to justice in general federal law and migration cases through clear and comprehensive rules and case management procedures to manage a growing caseload
• enhanced tailored case management for different cohorts of migration and general federal law cases, and greater use of technology and areas of responsibility for registrars to manage cases as quickly as possible
• safe outcomes for children and families through increased information sharing and engagement with relevant stakeholders and other jurisdictions
• enhanced access to justice, support and cultural responsiveness in migration review proceedings involving migrant and refuge litigants, through ongoing engagement with relevant communities and stakeholders, including through the Court’s Cultural Liaison Officer cohort, and better translation services and supports
• improved accessibility and inclusiveness for parties who face additional access to justice barriers, including culturally and linguistically diverse litigants, people with disability, people from regional, rural and remote areas, and other key cohorts.