London, UK – July 27, 2025 – The Hon William Alstergren AO, Chief Justice of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) and (Division 2) (the Courts), today gave the opening address for the 9th World Congress on Family Law & Children's Rights in the United Kingdom, highlighting the Courts' innovative and comprehensive approaches to addressing family violence in Australia.
Speaking to an international audience of judges, lawyers, psychologists, and other experts working in family law, Chief Justice Alstergren's presentation, titled "It's time for change - innovative approaches to deal with family violence," detailed the significant advancements made by the Courts in managing family violence within family law proceedings.
"Whilst our jurisdictions may vary, family courts globally are no strangers to change, growth, and innovation," Chief Justice Alstergren stated.
"Social issues and societal shifts are constant undercurrents in our courtrooms. Growth and innovation are essential components of our processes because family law, more than any other area, directly reflects the everyday concerns of people in every country and community."
The Chief Justice elaborated on how the Courts' have drastically improved their response to family violence through structural, legal, and cultural innovation. He gave examples of how Australian courts are now grappling with complex contemporary issues, from considering cryptocurrency and online gambling in property disputes to the ownership of family pets, including whether threats to animals form part of family violence or coercive control. He also highlighted the growing challenges of technology-facilitated abuse and the impact of social media on adults and children.
The Courts' Pioneering Initiatives to Combat Family Violence:
The Chief Justice showcased a range of the Courts' leading programs and initiatives, designed to better protect vulnerable litigants and improve legal processes:
- 'Family Violence: It's Just Not On' Campaign: This powerful national campaign features prominent Australian men from sport and entertainment, including Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana and Usman Khawaja, speaking out against family violence. Its goal is to initiate a nationwide conversation on prevention, specifically led by men.
- Lighthouse: An internationally unique system, Lighthouse uses the research backed Family DOORS Triage Risk screen for all parenting case parties at the point of filing. The confidential results are used for therapeutic support, not litigation, enabling referrals to support services and identifying high-risk cases for the specialized Evatt List.
- Information Sharing & Co-location: Enhanced processes allow for improved information sharing with child protection agencies and police. Staff from these agencies are co-located in many court registries, providing judicial officers with comprehensive risk information to make safer, more informed decisions.
- Priority Property Pool (PPP) Small Claims List: Addressing family violence in financial matters, this list operates in all registries for parties with under $550,000 AUD (approx. £265,000) net assets (excluding superannuation) or those at risk of economic abuse. It ensures quick, efficient handling for vulnerable parties with smaller asset pools, preventing disproportionate legal fees or economic coercion.
- Indigenous Family Liaison Officers (IFLOs) & Special Indigenous List: A significant investment in access to justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander litigants, this initiative directly targets the higher rates of family violence experienced by First Nations women. IFLOs are critical in connecting the Courts with First Nations communities, they provide information and resources to litigants and facilitate participation in court proceedings. They also co-ordinate the attendance of Indigenous legal, health and social support services at court.
- 'Safe and Together' Training & Education: The FCFCOA is reportedly the only court internationally to integrate David Mandel's 'Safe & Together' trauma informed training model across judges, registrars, and court child experts. In addition, judges and staff receive comprehensive domestic violence training programs and education on an ongoing basis.
- Court Dog Program: Trained facility dogs, provided by Guide Dogs Australia, are placed in the courts to support vulnerable litigants, especially victim-survivors of family violence, to help them feel safe, calm, and less anxious during proceedings. Currently in five locations, the court dogs also play a key role in the Court Children Services process of interviewing children who are subject of family law proceedings.
More information about the Courts and the initiatives is available from the Courts' website.
In addition to the Chief Justice's presentation, other Australian judges and family law experts will be contributing to various sessions during the World Congress event, which include:
- Justice Christie will chair a panel on child marriage, addressing judicial decision-making in this context, and will participate in a separate discussion on the 1980 Hague Abduction Convention.
- Judge Beckhouse, Senior Judicial Registrar Anne-Marie Rice and Executive Director of Court Children's Services, Janet Carmichael, will speak on the panel 'Balancing Risk and Resolution – How a Court's Approach to Family Violence Informs Systemic Change. The session will discuss the Lighthouse, Child Impact Reports and the application of the Safe and Together framework.
- Senior Judicial Registrar Rice will chair a panel on the use of artificial intelligence in dispute resolution, along with presenters from Singapore, the United Kingdom and Italy.
- Justice Williams will chair a session on child refugees and will participate in a panel discussion on abduction convention return applications in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
- Judge Mansini will chair a session on the impacts of family violence, and
- Janet Carmichael will chair a session on dispute resolution practices, featuring speakers from Australia and Germany.
About the World Congress
The 9th World Congress on Family Law and Children's Rights is being held in Cambridge, United Kingdom from 27 to 30 July 2025, in partnership with the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law. The Congress is chaired by the Hon Diana Bryant AO KC, former Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia, with Rt Hon Baroness Hale of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, serving as a patron. The World Congress aims to enhance, promote and protect the human rights of children and young people, bringing together individuals and organisations from across the world who have influence on the legal and justice system.
More information is available from the World Congress website.
