The Attorney-General, Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, confirmed the Government will commission a major review of Australia’s family law system to consider whether it is currently to adversarial while examining the impact on children.
Family law review welcome but urgent problems cannot wait. Brandis has not announced CJ Bryant replacement, 2 weeks from retirement #auspol
— Mark Dreyfus (@markdreyfusQCMP) September 27, 2017
The Australian Law Reform Commission will undertake what is considered the most comprehensive review of the family law system since the 1970s, when then Prime Minister, the Hon Gogh Whitlam, and then Attorney-General, the Hon Lionel Murphy QC, introduced sweeping reforms including establishing the Family Court of Australia, the Law Reform Commission, and legislating the Family Law Act 1975.
The review will examine the adversarial nature of family law cases?—?including divorce and custody disputes.
Speaking to the question of whether Senator Pauline Hanson’s advocacy on this issue drove the Government’s decision, the Attorney said “well let me just say I’ve had useful and constructive conversations with Senator Hanson as with many colleagues, as with many colleagues, but it would be a stretch to say we are having this review because Senator Hanson urged it upon us”.
The Opposition’s Shadow Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus QC, MP, in a statement confirmed Labor’s support of the review, but was critical of budget decisions saying “the Government has still not announced any funding to facilitate an end to domestic violence survivors being cross-examined by their abusers in court”.
The ALRC has been given until March 31 in 2019 to report back.
