2014-2015 Budget

The average staffing level is budgeted to decrease from the 2013-2014 year to the 2014-2015 year.  Currently the average staffing number is 789 and it is expected that the average staffing number will decrease to 766.

The total programme expenses (which include the annual departmental expenses of the Family Court of Australia, Federal Circuit Court of Australia and the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court Administration) is expected to reduce from $204,718,000 to $200,803,00 in the 2014-2015 year.

The budgeted annual department expenses for both the family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia is expected to remain the same for the years ending 2014, 2015, 2016, 2016 and 2018. There has been no indexation applied and therefore the real amount would consequently decrease each year.

Strategic Direction

The strategic direction statement for the Family Court and Federal Circuit Court to the achieve the government’s agenda is:

Provide access to justice for litigants in family and federal law matters within the jurisdiction of the courts through the provision of judicial and support services.

To assist the Court achieve the state purpose, there are four areas of focus:

•          maintaining an environment that enables judicial officers to make determinations

•          provision of effective and efficient registry services

•          effective and efficient management of resources

•          effective information and communication technologies.

Family Court of Australia

The Family Court of Australia, through its specialist judges and staff, helps Australians to resolve their most complex family disputes.

Federal Circuit Court of Australia

The Federal Circuit Court deals with a high volume of matters and delivers services to regional Australia through its regular circuit court programme. The jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court includes family law and child support, administrative law, bankruptcy, unlawful discrimination, consumer protection law, privacy law, migration law, trade practices law, trade mark and design, and workplace relations law.

Source: Portfolio Budget Statements 2014-15 by Section: Federal Circuit Court of Australia.