- Family Court chief promises reform
- By Richard Yallop
- The Australian
- 09/07/2004 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: admin ( 100 articles in 2004 )
NEW Family Court chief justice Diana Bryant yesterday promised a new era of reform to lift failing public respect for the court.
Making her first comments in Melbourne after being sworn in to succeed outspoken former chief justice Alastair Nicholson, she said she wanted quicker, cheaper and simpler resolution of family disputes, as she had achieved in her previous role as chief magistrate of the federal magistrates court.
"Everyone in the Family Court is very enthusiastic for us to start afresh in a new era, and look at all the processes," she said.
Her greatest task was to earn public respect for the court, and increase understanding of its work.
"People come to court at a terrible time in their lives, and they do not need a process that costs them too much money and an investment of so much of their lives when they need to move on."
The Family Court has come under sustained attack from MPs and ministers over the cost and complexity of its often adversarial, lawyer-based system. Men's groups have also attacked its alleged bias in favour of women.
With couples in Sydney experiencing 15-month delays in having cases heard, the court recently introduced a trial program called "Children's Cases", in which the focus is switched from lawyers presenting an adversarial account of past behaviour to the judge deciding future custodial arrangements.
Justice Bryant, 57, who was accompanied by new deputy chief justice John Faulks, declined to comment on reports that ministers are keen to introduce a new families tribunal. "The court will do whatever the Government legislates for it to do," she said.
Her appointment was preceded by speculation the Government was seeking a more compliant chief justice after battles with Mr Nicholson. "I have absolutely no riding instructions from anybody about anything," she said.
Referring to a story circulating in Perth legal circles that, finding herself locked out of her office one weekend she went home for tools to open the door, she said she vaguely recalled a similar incident.
"It's the kind of thing I would have done. If I was desperate enough to get in, I would have done it."
Asked about the impact the 1976 jailing of her mother, a Melbourne solicitor, for misappropriating funds had on her, she said: "At a pretty early stage I decided there was nothing I could do about it, so I wasn't going to think about it."
Chief courts new respect
Making her first comments in Melbourne after being sworn in to succeed outspoken former chief justice Alastair Nicholson, she said she wanted quicker, cheaper and simpler resolution of family disputes, as she had achieved in her previous role as chief magistrate of the federal magistrates court.
"Everyone in the Family Court is very enthusiastic for us to start afresh in a new era, and look at all the processes," she said.
Her greatest task was to earn public respect for the court, and increase understanding of its work.
"People come to court at a terrible time in their lives, and they do not need a process that costs them too much money and an investment of so much of their lives when they need to move on."
The Family Court has come under sustained attack from MPs and ministers over the cost and complexity of its often adversarial, lawyer-based system. Men's groups have also attacked its alleged bias in favour of women.
With couples in Sydney experiencing 15-month delays in having cases heard, the court recently introduced a trial program called "Children's Cases", in which the focus is switched from lawyers presenting an adversarial account of past behaviour to the judge deciding future custodial arrangements.
Justice Bryant, 57, who was accompanied by new deputy chief justice John Faulks, declined to comment on reports that ministers are keen to introduce a new families tribunal. "The court will do whatever the Government legislates for it to do," she said.
Her appointment was preceded by speculation the Government was seeking a more compliant chief justice after battles with Mr Nicholson. "I have absolutely no riding instructions from anybody about anything," she said.
Referring to a story circulating in Perth legal circles that, finding herself locked out of her office one weekend she went home for tools to open the door, she said she vaguely recalled a similar incident.
"It's the kind of thing I would have done. If I was desperate enough to get in, I would have done it."
Asked about the impact the 1976 jailing of her mother, a Melbourne solicitor, for misappropriating funds had on her, she said: "At a pretty early stage I decided there was nothing I could do about it, so I wasn't going to think about it."
Chief courts new respect
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