‘We need to do things differently’: What the new family law system will look like following the major court merger
‘We need to do things differently’: What the new family law system will look like following the major court merger Share
Come September, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia will look very different, starting with a faster and less costly family law system. Despite some heavy criticisms from the wider legal profession, Chief Justice Will Alstergren promises that families, victims of family violence and other clients will be better off.
The newly merged Federal Circuit and Family Court (FCFC) will officially commence its updated operations from 1 September. It promises to begin delivering “modern, transparent and more efficient systems of justice” for parties to get through the family law system as “safely, quickly and fairly as possible” without unnecessary delays.
Victorian bail laws under fire as it fails to reach ‘unambitious’ targets
Victorian bail laws under fire as it fails to reach ‘unambitious’ targets Share
The Victorian government is under fire for its commitment to the new Closing the Gap Agreement after a progress report found that Australia is not on track to meet the “already unambitious” targets relating to incarceration of Aboriginal people.
Marking the fourth anniversary of Victoria’s bail laws, lawyers with the Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) have reflected on the “devastating” effect that they have had on Aboriginal people, but particularly women, as the prison population continues to rise. Paired with an agreement last year, the government is being heavily criticised.
Protégé: The reality behind preparing for life as a barrister
Protégé: The reality behind preparing for life as a barrister Share
Making the decision to join the bar is adventurous and exciting on paper but in theory it’s a lot of major financial decisions, stressful exams and strong support networks. In this episode, a new barrister discusses how she navigated all of this on top of personal struggles and raising a young child to make it into the bar.
In this episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Naomi Neilson is joined by barrister Emma Fitzgerald to discuss her journey from solicitor to barrister and the struggles that came with it, from making extremely tough financial decisions like selling her house through to managing her mental health through stressors like the bar exams.
Federal Court decision on Qantas outsourcing ‘legal first’
Federal Court decision on Qantas outsourcing ‘legal first’ Share
A Federal Court decision to penalise Qantas for the sacking of over 2,000 workers has been commended as a “legal first” that may have far-reaching consequences for other major companies that attempt to avoid collective bargaining.
The Federal Court largely found in favour of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) who brought a case against Qantas after it replaced 2,000 crew jobs with contractors during the COVID-19 pandemic in its attempt to avoid collective bargaining for a new enterprise agreement. The court will now decide if it will reinstate the employees.