Senior Judicial Registrar (FCFCOA)

April 7, 2022
Application deadline closed.

Job Description

These positions sit within the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) jurisdiction.

The Courts are seeking highly capable candidates who are enthusiastic, driven and motivated to assist in achieving the Courts’ objectives and perform the key functions of a Senior Judicial Registrar role (or potentially the position of a blended Senior Judicial Registrar and Judicial Registrar role).

This recruitment is an exciting opportunity to be involved in important family law court reforms that will lead to significant benefits for litigants through improved safety outcomes and minimising delays. The Courts received recent funding in the 2022/23 Budget for the national expansion of the ground-breaking Lighthouse project and to enhance culturally responsive support, which provides for further Senior Judicial Registrars, Judicial Registrars, Court Child Experts, Indigenous Family Liaison Officers, and support staff for the Courts. This funding builds on significant funding received by the Courts in the 2021/22 Budget to support fundamental family law court reforms.

The recruitment of Senior Judicial Registrars by the Courts will assist the Courts to:
• enhance the ability of the Courts to respond to family violence and other risks to vulnerable parties and children,
• enhance culturally responsive support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,
• alleviate substantial workload pressures on judges and make the Courts’ processes as efficient as possible,
• underpin the continuing implementation of fundamental structural family law reform and key initiatives, and
• ensure the capacity of the Courts to implement the FCFCOA Act, including the legislated single point of entry for family law filings and other required changes.

The recruitment will occur in the context of the Courts (led by the Hon. William Alstergren as the Head of Jurisdiction), continuing to implement a fundamental reform agenda focused on ensuring disputes are resolved in a just, timely and safe manner, with harmonised rules and procedures and a national emphasis on dispute resolution. A key tenet of this reform is a coherent approach to case management across the Courts nationally, with an enhanced role for Family Law Registrars in case management and dispute resolution processes. Family Law Registrars will also have a key role in the expanded Lighthouse project across 15 FCFCOA family law registries with its ground-breaking design to identify risk issues early and to support vulnerable parties and children.

There is now a clear career pathway, taking into account operational needs, for highly capable people who join the Courts as a Family Law Registrar, and who demonstrate the necessary skills, leadership and experience for an appropriate period of time, to progress through the relevant levels of Registrar roles. For Senior Judicial Registrars there is ultimately the possibility to be considered by Government for a Judicial appointment.

Key responsibilities and duties of the position
• Performing the delegated judicial functions at a high level, exercising delegated judicial power in family law matters in the FCFCOA (Division 1) and the FCFCOA (Division 2) pursuant to sections 98 and 254 of the FCFCOA Act, respectively and other legislative instruments;
• Carrying out delegated judicial functions locally and nationally by way of:
o presiding over Court hearings;
o carrying out high level and complex case management support for judges; and
o conducting various forms of high level and complex ADR in both property and parenting matters;
• Providing professional leadership to Judicial Registrars, including assisting to promote the professional development, mentoring and training of Judicial Registrars;
• Assisting the Courts with national operational matters in support of the Chief Justice/Chief Judge and the CEO/PR, as may be required; and
• Liaising with relevant community, government and professional stakeholders.

More Information
For more information on the position, and application requirements, please visit the court’s website at: https://www.fedcourt.gov.au/about/employment/job-vacancies

A merit/talent pool may be created from this process, which may be used to fill similar vacancies over the next 18 months.

Applications close 1 May 2022