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Proceedings in Relation to Children in the Post Cross-Vesting Era

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2025

Dorothy Kovacs
Dorothy Kovacs*
Affiliation:
Monash University; Victorian Bar
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Extract

Since its creation by the Family Law Act in 1975 the Family Court of Australia has relied on various measures which have been implemented from time to time to overcome the deficits in its jurisdiction in relation to children. These deficits emanate from insufficiencies in constitutional power. Those measures include the addition in 1983 of the jurisdiction in relation to the welfare of a child by the Family Law (Amendment) Act 1983 (Cth) and the reference by the Australian States, between 1986 and 1990, of substantial powers by the Commonwealth Powers (Family Law Children) Acts. These substantially extended the jurisdiction of the Family Court in respect of ex-nuptial children. Remaining gaps in jurisdiction were filled by the enactment of the State and Federal Jurisdiction of Courts (Cross-Vesting) Acts 1987 which conferred on the Court the jurisdiction of the State Supreme Courts. The Court has thus been in the happy position since 1987 of hearing State matters in association with children's issues which were instituted in the Family Court; and it has received and heard State matters involving State law which were transferred to it by State Supreme Courts.

Type
Article
Information
Federal Law Review , Volume 28 , Issue 1 , March 2000 , pp. 105 - 124
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 The Australian National University

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References

1 Commonwealth Powers (Family Law-Children) Acts 1986 (NSW); 1990 (Qld); 1986 (SA); 1986 (Vic); Commonwealth Powers (Family Law Act) 1987 (Tas); Western Australia did not refer the power.

2 Berry And Berry v Waklcy and Black (1988) FLC 91-072; ; Mulhall v Hartndi (1988) FLC 91-0--17 and Mattock v Mattock (1989) FLC 92-038.

3 (1992) FLC 92-295.

4 (l989) 13 FamLR 285; (1989) FLC 92-037.

5 (1989) 13 FamLR 288; (1989) FLC 92-038.

6 Re Broman-Clarke (1990) 13 FamLR 676; (1990) FLC 92-115; Hallinan v Witynski (1999) FLC 92-219; D v L (1990) 14 FamLR 482; King v Kemp (1995) FLC 92-672 and Griffiths v Brodigan (1996) DFC 95-177; 20 FamLR 822.

7 (1995) (FLC) 92-565.

8 (1999) DFC 95-218.

9 (1999) 163 ALR 270.

10 Public Trustee v Gilbert (1991) FLC 92-211.

11 (1987) 163 CLR 278.

12 Kratofil and Kratofil (1980) FLC 90-809; Magas and Magas (1980) FLC 90-885; and Dougherty and Dougherty (1987) 163 CLR 278.

13 (1999) 163 ALR 270.

14 Ibid at para 135.

15 (1983) 152 CLR 570.

16 (1983) 154 CLR 261.

17 Fencott v Muller (1983) 152 CLR 570 at 608.

18 (1986) 161 CLR 217. In Smith the wording of the Family Provision Act 1982 (NSW) was ultimately held to preclude any intervention by the Family Court.

19 See McKay and McKay (1984) FLC 91-573 and Ireland and Ireland (1984) FLC 91-731.

20 A Mason, “Family Law, Some Constitutional and Appellate Perspectives” (1988) 3 Aus Fam Lawyer 8.

21 Ibid at 10.

22 L Aitken, “The Accrued and Associated Jurisdiction of the Family Court” (1989) 3 AJFL 101.

23 Ibid.

24 (1999) 163 ALR 270 at para 147.

25 Ibid at para 140.

26 Ibid.

27 Ibid at para 141.

28 Ibid.

29 Ibid at para 137.

30 Ibid at paras 138-139.

31 Ibid at para 142.

32 14 FamLR 78.

33 (1989) 13 FamLR 288; (1989) FLC 92-038.

34 Text at n 5 above.

35 (1998) FLC 92-816 although that case concerned a de Jure marriage.

36 (1999) DFC 95-218.

37 La Forest J in Re Eve [1986] 2 SCR 388 at 410 cited in Secretary, Department of Health and Community Services v JWB & SMB (Marion's Case) (1992) 175 CLR 218 at 258.

38 (1992) 175 CLR 218 at 258 (Mason CJ, Dawson, Toohey and Gaudron JJ).

39 See P v P (1994) 181 CLR 583 at 618-620 for a discussion of the wardship jurisdiction.

40 Dawson v Jay, Re Dawson (1854) 3 De GM & G 764; 43 ER 300.

41 Family Law Council, Report of the Watson Committee, Guardianship, Custody, Change of Name (1982).

42 See also Marion (1992) 175 CLR 218 at 256.

43 Ibid.

44 See Carseldine v Director of Department of Children's Services (1974) 133 CLR 345 at 367 per Mason J; Johnson v Director-General of Social Welfare Vic (1976) 135 CLR 92 at 100 per Murphy J.

45 Re T (A Minor) Child Representation [1993] 4 All ER 518 at 524 per Waite LJ.

46 Ibid.

47 All ER Annual Review 1992 at 412.

48 All ER Annual Review 1993 at 236.

49 (1999) 163 ALR 501.

50 Ibid at para 85 per GaudronJ.

51 (1994) 181 CLR 583.

52 Ibid at 607.

53 (1999) 163 ALR 501 at para 85 adopting in Re X (A Minor) [1975] Fam 47 at 61 per Sir John Pennycuick.

54 Ibid.

55 Ibid.

56 Ibid at para 86.

57 Ibid quoting from Re X (A Minor) [1975] Fam 47 at 50-51 per Latey J.

58 A Dickey, Family Law (3rd edition 1997) at 359.

59 Ibid.

60 King v Jones (1972) 128 CLR 221 at 239.

61 (1996) FLC 92-653.

62 Ibid at 86,689.

63 (1994) 181 CLR 583 at 604 citing (1992) 175 CLR 218 at 259.

64 (1992) 175 CLR 218 at301-302.

65 R v X (A Minor) Wardship; Restriction on Publication [1975] 1 All ER 697.

66 (1994) 181 CLR 583.

67 (1993) FLC 92-402.

68 (1999) FLC 92-855.

69 (1999) FLC 92-855.

70 Ibid at para 30.

71 Ibid.

72 Ibid at para 36.

73 Ibid at para 37.

74 Ibid at para 67.

75 (1999) 163 ALR 501 at para 87 (emphasis added).

76 Priest v Priest (1965) VLR 540 at 545 per Herring CJ.

77 (1985) PLC 91-608.

78 Ibid at 79,937.

79 See text at nn 53-57 above.

80 See text at nn 61-62 above.

81 A Dickey, above n 58 at 369.

82 Dougherty and Dougherty v Dougherty (1987) 163 CLR 278.

83 The constitutional implications are considered below.

84 Carseldine v Director Department of Children's Services (1974) 133 CLR 345 and Johnson v Director-General of Social Welfare Vic (1976) 135 CLR 92.

85 (1994) 181 CLR 583 at 619.

86 [1982] AC 363.

87 (1992) PLC 92-295.

88 Re W: A Minor Wardship Jurisdiction [1985] AC 791 at 807 and the discussion in Hallinan at 79,247-79,252.

89 (1994) 181 CLR 583.

90 Ibid at 621.

91 (1992) 175 CLR 218 at 263-288.

92 (1999) PLC 92-838.

93 Ibid at para 141.

94 (1999) 161 ALR 318.

95 lbid at para 143.

96 Ibid at para 142.

97 Ibid at para 143.

98 (1992) FLC 92-925.

99 See the comment thereon by A Dickey, “The Curious Case of Hallinan: Where is the Jurisdiction?” 1992 (62) ALJ 834.

100 (1992) FLC 92-925 at 79,251.

101 (1986) 162 CLR 24.

102 (1994) 181 CLR 583 at 628.

103 Ibid at 630.

104 Ibid.

105 Ibid at 630-631.

106 Ibid at 631.

107 (1999) FLC 92-855.

108 Ibid at para 68.

109 (1996) FLC 92-653 at 86,689.

110 Family Law Act 1975 (Cth), s 60B(2).

111 Section 68B(2).

112 Seymour, J, “The Role of the Family Court in Child Welfare Matters” (1992) 21 FL Rev 1Google Scholar

113 Ibid at 19.

114 (1999) 163 ALR 501 at para 258.

115 (1995) FLC 92-617.

116 Ibid at 82,174.

117 Ibid at 82,182.

118 (1999) FLC 92-855. See earlier discussion text at n 69 above.

119 Ibid at para 30.

120 Ibid at para 31.

121 Ibid at para 69.

122 Ibid.

123 (1991) 7 SR(WA) 124.

124 See the criticism of the judgment by A Dickey,“The Supreme Court's Parens Patriae Powers in Western Australia” (1993) 67 ALJ 149 and the contrary view expressed in Re Tobin [1995] 1 Qd R 89 by the Queensland Supreme Court.

125 See text at n 62 above.

126 J Seymour, above n 111.

127 Ibid at 14.

128 Ibid at 20.

129 (1995) FLC 92-617.

130 Ibid at 82,176.

131 (1999) 161 ALR 318. See text at n 91 above.

132 Ibid at para 198 per McHugh and CallinanJJ.

133 (1998) 157 ALR 686; (1998) FLC 92-826.

134 Mulhall v Hartnell (1989) FLC 91-947 at 76,848.

135 Grant v Wilkinson (1981) 12 FamLR 781; Swan v Mearns (1989) DFC 95-076.

136 (1999) DFC 95-218 and see text at n 8 above.

137 Section 5(2) ands 5(7) of the State Jurisdiction of Courts Cross-Vesting Acts. The case law concerning the grounds under s 5(4) for the transfer of proceedings remains in point, Chapman v Jansen13 FamLR 853 (1990) FLC 92-139 and Kenda v Johnson (1993) FLC 92-331

138 Section 7(4) of the Cross-Vesting Acts.