Deputy Registrar (FCFCOA)

April 11, 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 Deputy Registrar.

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, Deputy 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 Deputy 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. This includes the possibility for a Deputy Registrar to progress to a Judicial Registrar role.

Position overview and key duties

Deputy Registrars will perform certain delegated judicial functions 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, assisting with a variety of legal work across both Courts.

The Deputy Registrar position can be multi-faceted and plays a key role within the Courts, including in the following areas:

 Court work, at the local and national level, conducting national divorce lists;
 A variety of chambers work, including determining Applications for Consent Orders and considering certain applications as a duty registrar;
 After appropriate training, undertaking conciliation conferences in small-mid level disputes;
 Assisting with the formulation of legal policy within the Courts, including in support of various Court Committees and with the implementation of policies on a national basis;
 National/operational work, assisting with the assessment of the Courts’ caseload under new legislative arrangements in support of the Chief Justice of the FCFCOA (Division 1)/Chief Judge of the FCFCOA (Division 2) and the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Registrar (CEO/PR) of the Courts;
 Playing an important role locally and nationally in helping to deliver and implement the Courts’ reform agenda, together with delivering key Court initiatives; demonstrating leadership in the performance of their legal and other duties and functions; and
 Liaising with internal and external stakeholders in areas of Deputy Registrar practice and matters of jurisdiction, including with the legal profession.

Deputy Registrars may also undertake additional national roles and responsibilities, including participating in case management initiatives within the Court, assisting with the development of coherent and consistent practice and procedure, analyses of workload, and liaison with, and education of, the profession.

For the appropriate candidate, the position could also entail a significant involvement at a national level in coordinating and supporting the national expansion of the Lighthouse project or the enhancement of the Courts’ culturally responsive support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander litigants.

After undertaking the duties of a Deputy Registrar at a high level for an appropriate period of time, consideration will be given to Deputy Registrars undertaking higher-level Registrar duties, subject to their performance, skills and experience.

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