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📜 Family Court Amendment (Commonwealth Reforms) Bill 2024

Assented toLABill 18719 September 2024

The Family Court Amendment (Commonwealth Reforms) Bill 2024 amends the Family Court Act 1997 (WA) to align with reforms to the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021 (Cth). It also consequentially amends the Adoption Act 1994 (WA) and the Surrogacy Act 2008 (WA).

Impact

Families and children involved in family court proceedings will be affected. The changes aim to streamline processes, strengthen enforcement of parenting orders, and enhance protections against harm from litigation and family violence.

Key Changes

["Streamlines the legislative framework for making parenting orders.", "Strengthens compliance with, and enforcement of, parenting orders.", "Enhances the power of the courts to protect parties and their children from the harmful effects of litigation.", "Clarifies the restrictions on the publication of family law proceedings.", "Provides a regulatory framework for professionals who prepare family reports.", "Establishes an enhanced court led information sharing framework for information relating to family violence, child abuse and neglect risks in parenting proceedings."]

Parliamentary Progress

LA Second Reading MovedLA19 Sept 2024
LA IntroducedLA19 Sept 2024
LA Second Reading AgreedLA23 Oct 2024
LA Consideration in DetailLA23 Oct 2024
LA Third ReadingLA24 Oct 2024
LC Second Reading MovedLC5 Nov 2024
LC Second Reading AgreedLC27 Nov 2024
LC Third ReadingLC27 Nov 2024
Royal Assent6 Dec 2024

Affected Sectors

justice

Penalty Provisions5 found

criminal · unclear

219AXCriminal

Contravention of a suppression or non-publication order

“219AX. Contravention of order — FLA s. 102PK 88”

219AZCUnclear

Proceedings in contravention of harmful proceedings order

“219AZC. Proceedings in contravention of harmful proceedings order — FLA s. 102QAD 95”

219AZIUnclear

Proceedings in contravention of vexatious proceedings order

“219AZI. Proceedings in contravention of vexatious proceedings order — FLA s. 102QD 100”

236BCriminalboth

Communication to the public of account of proceedings that identifies parties or others involved in proceedings

“236B. Indictable offence: communication to the public of account of proceedings that identifies parties or others involved in proceedings — FLA s. 114Q 105”

236CCriminalboth

Communication to the public of list of court proceedings that refers to names of parties

“236C. Indictable offence: communication to the public of list of court proceedings that refers to names of parties — FLA s. 114R 107”

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