FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA Annual Report 2002-2003 © Commonwealth of Australia 2003 ISSN 1035-5863 This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Commonwealth available from AusInfo. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be directed to the Manager, Legislative Services, AusInfo, GPO Box 1920, Canberra ACT 2601. The report was printed by Paragon Australasia Group, 13 Wiluna Street, Fyshwick ACT. FEDERAL COURT REGISTRIES Principal Registry Level 17 Law Courts Building Queens Square Sydney NSW 2000 Phone: (02) 9230 8281 Fax: (02) 9223 7706 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.fedcourt.gov.au Hours: 8.30am-5.30pm Australian Capital Territory District Registry New South Wales District Registry Childers Street Level 16 Law Courts Building Canberra City ACT 2601 Queens Square Phone: (02) 6267 0566 Fax: (02) 6267 0625 Sydney NSW 2000 TTY: (02) 6267 0537 Phone: (02) 9230 8567 Fax: (02) 9230 8535 E-mail: [email protected] TTY: (02) 9230 8270 Counter Hours: 10am-1pm; 2pm-4pm E-mail: [email protected] Contact Hours: 8.30am-5.00pm Counter Hours: 9.00am-4.00pm Contact Hours: 8.30am-5.00pm Northern Territory District Registry Queensland District Registry Level 1 TCG Centre Level 6 Commonwealth Law Courts 80 Mitchell Street 119 North Quay Darwin NT 0800 Brisbane QLD 4000 Phone: (08) 8941 2333 Fax: (08) 8981 6081 Phone: (07) 3248 1100 Fax: (07) 3248 1260 TTY: (08) 8982 0838 TTY: (07) 3248 1272 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Counter Hours: 8.30am-4.00pm Counter Hours: 9.00am-4.00pm Contact Hours: 8.30am-4.30pm Contact Hours: 8.30am-5.00pm South Australia District Registry Tasmania District Registry 8th Floor Grenfell Centre Commonwealth Law Courts Building 25 Grenfell Street 39-41 Davey St Adelaide SA 5000 Hobart TAS 7000 Phone: (08) 8205 4436 Fax: (08) 8205 4439 Phone: (03) 6232 1715 Fax: (03) 6232 1701 TTY: (08) 8205 4416 TTY: (03) 6232 1865 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Counter Hours: 9.00am-4.00pm Counter Hours: 9.00am-4.30pm Contact Hours: 8.30am-5.00pm Contact Hours: 8.30am-5.15pm Victoria District Registry Western Australia District Registry 305 William Street Level 6 Commonwealth Law Courts Melbourne VIC 3000 1 Victoria Avenue Phone: (03) 8600 3333 Fax: (03) 8600 3281 Perth WA 6000 TTY: (03) 9670 0320 Phone: (08) 9268 7100 Fax: (08) 9221 3261 E-mail: [email protected] TTY: (08) 9325 7053 Counter Hours: 9am-4.30pm E-mail: [email protected] Contact Hours: 8.30am-5.15pm Counter Hours: 8.30am-4.00pm Contact Hours: 8.30am-5.15pm Contact officer for Annual Report Executive Officer Corporate Services Branch, Principal Registry Level 17 Law Courts Building Queens Square Sydney NSW 2000 Phone: (02) 9230 8342 Fax: (02) 9223 7706 Contact Hours: 8.30am-5.00pm An electronic version of the report is available at http://www.fedcourt.gov.au iv CONTENTS OF ANNUAL REPORT 2002-2003 CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF THE FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA __1 1.1 Establishment _______________________________________________3 1.2 Functions and Powers_________________________________________3 1.3 Objectives___________________________________________________3 1.4 The Court’s Outcome and Output Structure______________________3 1.5 The Court___________________________________________________4 Judges _____________________________________________________4 Appointments and retirements ___________________________________7 1.6 Registries ___________________________________________________9 Registrar ____________________________________________________9 Principal and District Registries __________________________________9 Officers of the Court __________________________________________10 Staff of the Court ____________________________________________10 CHAPTER 2 THE YEAR IN REVIEW ________________________________11 2.1 Introduction________________________________________________13 2.2 Significant Issues and Developments ___________________________13 Casetrack___________________________________________________13 The eCourt _________________________________________________14 Native title matters ___________________________________________14 Organisational Review ________________________________________15 Maintaining a lead in Practice and Procedure_______________________15 Review of Individual Docket System _____________________________15 Review of Guidelines for Expert Witnesses ________________________15 Self-Represented Litigants _____________________________________15 Engagement with Asia-Pacific Jurisdictions _______________________16 2.3 The Court’s Performance and Financial Results__________________16 Workload __________________________________________________16 Migration matters ____________________________________________17 Appeals ____________________________________________________17 Performance against time standards ______________________________18 Financial results _____________________________________________18 CHAPTER 3 THE WORK OF THE COURT IN 2002-2003 _______________19 3.1 Introduction________________________________________________21 3.2 Management of cases and deciding disputes _____________________21 Introduction_________________________________________________21 The Court’s jurisdiction _______________________________________21 Changes to the Court’s jurisdiction in 2002–03 _____________________23 Amendments to the Federal Court of Australia Act __________________23 Amendments to the Federal Court of Australia Regulations ___________23 Federal Court Rules and Practice Notes ___________________________24 Federal Court Workload in the General Federal Law Jurisdiction_______25 Caseflow management of the Court’s jurisdiction ___________________26 v The workload of the Court in its original jurisdiction ________________29 The Court’s Appellate Jurisdiction _______________________________32 The Court’s workload in particular areas of its jurisdiction ____________34 Native Title Matters __________________________________________36 Assisted Dispute Resolution ____________________________________42 Management of Cases and Deciding Disputes by Tribunals ___________43 3.3 Improving access to the court and contributing to the Australian Legal System ____________________________________________________44 Introduction_________________________________________________44 Practice and Procedure Reforms_________________________________44 Assistance for Self Represented Litigants _________________________46 Interpreters _________________________________________________48 Remission or Waiver of court and registry fees _____________________48 Gender Issues _______________________________________________49 Disability, race and sex discrimination____________________________49 eCourt Strategy ______________________________________________50 Remote hearings _____________________________________________53 Public Information ___________________________________________53 Community Relations _________________________________________55 Complaints about the Court’s processes___________________________56 Cross-vesting Monitoring Committee ____________________________56 Involvement in legal education programs and legal reform activities ____56 3.4 Work with International Jurisdictions __________________________57 Introduction_________________________________________________57 Legal Education Programs _____________________________________57 Participation in international committees and conferences ____________59 Library services to the South Pacific and Thailand __________________60 Visitors to the Court __________________________________________60 Pegasus Scholarship Trust _____________________________________60 CHAPTER 4 MANAGEMENT OF THE COURT _______________________63 4.1 Introduction________________________________________________65 4.2 Corporate Services __________________________________________66 Financial Management ________________________________________66 Risk Management and Internal Audit_____________________________67 Consultancy Services _________________________________________68 Advertising and Marketing Services______________________________68 Technology Services__________________________________________69 Human Resources ____________________________________________70 Library and Information Services ________________________________78 Commonwealth Disability Strategy ______________________________79 Improved access to Court buildings ______________________________80 Property Management_________________________________________81 Environmental Management____________________________________81 APPENDIX 1 Financial Statements 2002 – 2003____________________________83 APPENDIX 2 Management Structure __________________________________113 APPENDIX 3 Registrars of the Court___________________________________114 vi APPENDIX 4 Federal Court of Australia - jurisdiction – list of statutes ________117 APPENDIX 5 Workload Statistics _____________________________________121 APPENDIX 6 Work of Tribunals ______________________________________137 APPENDIX 7 Summary of Decisions of Interest___________________________142 APPENDIX 8 Judges’ participation in legal reform activities and international committees and conferences in 2002-03 ___________________________________159 APPENDIX 9 Equal employment opportunity statistics _____________________167 APPENDIX 10 Statement under the Freedom of Information Act 1982__________168 INDEX ___________________________________________________________170