Outcome 3
Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2)
The FCFCOA (Division 2) is a federal court of record and a court of law and equity established by Parliament as an independent federal court under Chapter III of the Constitution.
The jurisdiction of the Court is best described by reference to three main areas: family law and child support, migration law, and a broad range of general federal law areas of jurisdiction including administrative law, admiralty law, bankruptcy, consumer law, human rights, industrial law, intellectual property, and privacy. The Court shares these jurisdictions with the FCFCOA (Division 1) (in respect of family law and child support) and the Federal Court of Australia (in respect of migration and general federal law).
Since 1 September 2021, the Court operates as the single point of entry for the filing of all family law applications, and matters may be transferred to the FCFCOA (Division 1) where considered appropriate based on their complexity.
The objective of the FCFCOA (Division 2) is to provide timely access to justice and resolve disputes in an efficient and cost-effective manner, using appropriate dispute resolution processes. The provisions of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021 enable the FCFCOA (Division 2) to operate as informally as possible in the exercise of judicial powers, use streamlined procedures and make use of a range of dispute resolution processes to resolve matters without judicial decisions, where appropriate.
The FCFCOA (Division 2) sits in all capital cities, selected major regional centres, and also circuits to a number of regional locations. It deals with a high volume of matters and delivers services to regional Australia through its regular circuit court program, in addition to utilising technology to facilitate remote access to the Court where appropriate.
The Chief Judge is responsible for managing the business and administrative affairs of the Court, assisted by the Deputy Chief Judge (Family Law) and the Deputy Chief Judge (General and Fair Work). The Chief Judge is assisted by the CEO and Principal Registrar, who is appointed by the Governor-General on the nomination of the Chief Justice.
| Purpose | To provide timely access to justice and resolve disputes in all areas of law in an efficient and cost-effective manner, using appropriate dispute resolution processes |
|---|---|
| Outcome | Apply and uphold the rule of law for litigants in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (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 |
| Program | The exercise of the jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) |
| Key activities |
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| Performance measure | Timely completion of cases |
Targets
| Targets | 2026–27 | 2027–28 | 2028–29 | 2029–30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target 1 80–90% of final order applications resolved within 12 months | 80–90% of final order applications resolved within 12 months | 80–90% of final order applications resolved within 12 months | 80–90% of final order applications resolved within 12 months | 80–90% of final order applications resolved within 12 months |
| Target 2 90% of general federal law applications (excluding migration) resolved within 12 months | 90% of general federal law applications (excluding migration) resolved within 12 months | 90% of general federal law applications (excluding migration) resolved within 12 months | 90% of general federal law applications (excluding migration) resolved within 12 months | 90% of general federal law applications (excluding migration) resolved within 12 months |
| Target 3 75% of all judgments delivered within 3 months | 75% of all judgments delivered within 3 months | 75% of all judgments delivered within 3 months | 75% of all judgments delivered within 3 months | 75% of all judgments delivered within 3 months |
Measure type and assessment
Target 1, target 2, target 3 will be measured by reference to quantitative data, which must be considered in the context of the Court's work.
Rationale/context
Target 1 measures the percentage of final order applications that are resolved in less than 12 months from the date they are filed. This will assist the Court to monitor the efficient resolution of disputes, to ensure families are receiving timely access to justice.
Target 2 measures the percentage of general federal law applications (excluding migration) that are resolved in less than 12 months from the date they are filed. This will assist the Court to monitor the efficient resolution of disputes, to ensure litigants are receiving timely access to justice.
Target 3 measures the percentage of judgments that are delivered within three months of the date of the hearing to which they relate, to ensure the Court is resolving matters in a timely way where that resolution requires the delivery of orders and reasons for judgment.
Methodology/source
Target 1 will be measured by reference to the percentage of final order applications finalised within the financial year that have been finalised within 12 months of their filing date.
Target 2 will be measured by reference to the percentage of general federal law applications finalised within the financial year that have been finalised within 12 months of their filing date.
Target 3 will be measured by reference to the time taken between the conclusion of the hearing/ submissions and the date the reasons for judgment are delivered, and the percentage of those judgments that are delivered within three months, out of all judgments delivered during the financial year.
The Listed Entity’s Annual Performance Statement, published in the annual report, will report on the success of the plan to achieve timely completion of cases.
Detail and rationale of changes since the 2025–26 Corporate Plan
Nil.
For additional information about the FCFCOA outcomes, refer to Appendix 1.
