Family Law Amendment Bill 2024
The Law Council of Australia provided a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee to assist in its inquiry into the Family Law Amendment Bill 2024 (Cth).
The Law Council has long held the view that a holistic and trauma-informed approach to family law reform is necessary to ensure that the system best protects and promotes the rights of all. This involves considerations of three critical aspects – the law itself, court processes, and resourcing – to ensure that Australia’s family law system meets the safety and best interests of all who are in need of family law assistance, including some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
The Law Council acknowledges that the Bill passed the House of Representatives, without a division or amendment, in September 2024. Accordingly, to best assist the Committee in its inquiry, this submission does not seek to repeat the detailed policy and drafting considerations raised our November 2023 submission to the Attorney-General’s Department in response to an exposure draft of the Bill.1
Instead, this submission largely focuses on discrete drafting suggestions and opportunities to minimise the risk of unintended consequences arising from various aspects of the Bill.
Read the full submission below.
1 Law Council of Australia, Exposure Draft: Family Law Amendment Bill (No. 2) 2023 (Submission to the Attorney-General’s Department, 24 November 2023).
Last Updated on 25/10/2024