Schedule 1—Validation of certain orders
Part 1—Orders relating to de facto financial causes
1 Interpretation
(1) In this Part:
affected order: see subitems 2(4) and (5).
assumed matters: see subitem 2(1).
court, except in items 5 and 6, has the same meaning as in the Family Law Act 1975, and also includes a court exercising jurisdiction in relation to a matter arising under this Part.
Family Court means the Family Court of Australia.
liability includes a duty, responsibility or obligation.
order includes a decree, judgement, declaration, injunction, direction or other decision.
order‑based rights or liabilities: see subitem 3(1).
Registrar means:
(a) a Registrar within the meaning of the Family Law Act 1975, to the extent that his or her powers were or are exercised under a delegation of the Family Court’s powers under Rules of Court made under section 37A of the Family Law Act 1975; or
(b) a Judicial Registrar appointed under section 26A of the Family Law Act 1975, to the extent that his or her powers were or are exercised under a delegation of the Family Court’s powers under Rules of Court made under section 26B of that Act; or
(c) a Registrar within the meaning of the Federal Magistrates Act 1999, to the extent that his or her powers were or are exercised:
(i) under section 102 of that Act; or
(ii) under a delegation of the Federal Magistrates Court’s powers under Rules of Court made under section 103 of that Act.
right includes an interest, status, power or authority.
(2) Any other expression has the same meaning in this Part as in the Family Law Act 1975.
2 Rights and liabilities of persons
(1) Subject to subitem (3), the rights and liabilities of all persons are, by force of this item, declared to be, and always to have been, the same as if the following matters (the assumed matters) had been the case:
(a) a Proclamation had been made under subsection 40(2) of the Family Law Act 1975 (as in force before the commencement of this Part), fixing 1 March 2009 as the date on and after which the jurisdiction of the Family Court under paragraph 31(1)(aa) of that Act could be exercised in the following States and Territories:
(i) New South Wales;
(ii) Victoria;
(iii) Queensland;
(iv) Tasmania;
(v) the Australian Capital Territory;
(vi) the Northern Territory;
(vii) Norfolk Island;
(b) a Proclamation had been made under subsection 40(2) of the Family Law Act 1975 (as in force before the commencement of this Part), fixing 1 July 2010 as the date on and after which the jurisdiction of the Family Court under paragraph 31(1)(aa) of that Act could be exercised in South Australia;
(c) each of those Proclamations had been in force at all times from the start of the date fixed by the Proclamation to the end of 10 February 2012.
(2) Without limiting the effect of subitem (1):
(a) all persons are, by force of this item, declared to be, and always to have been, entitled to act on the basis that other persons had, and have, the rights and liabilities as declared by subitem (1); and
(b) a right or liability that a person is declared by subitem (1) to have, or to have had:
(i) is exercisable or enforceable; and
(ii) is to be regarded as always having been exercisable or enforceable;
as if the assumed matters had been the case; and
(c) the rights and liabilities that a person is declared by subitem (1) to have, or to have had, include any right the person would have or have had, if the assumed matters had been the case, to appeal, or to seek review of, an affected order.
(3) Subitem (1) does not apply to liabilities arising from a conviction (or purported conviction), before the commencement of this Part, of a person for an offence that relates to a de facto financial cause.
(4) Subject to subitem (5), an affected order is:
(a) an order purportedly made, before 11 February 2012, by:
(i) the Family Court; or
(ii) the Federal Magistrates Court; or
(iii) a Registrar;
in the exercise of jurisdiction under the Family Law Act 1975 in respect of matters referred to in paragraph 31(1)(aa) or subsection 39B(1) of that Act; or
(b) an award purportedly:
(i) made in section 13E arbitration, or in relevant property or financial arbitration; and
(ii) registered in the Family Court, or the Federal Magistrates Court, under section 13H of the Family Law Act 1975 before 11 February 2012 in the exercise of jurisdiction under the Family Law Act 1975 in respect of matters referred to in paragraph 31(1)(aa) or subsection 39B(1) of that Act; or
(c) an order purportedly made, before the commencement of this Part, on appeal from, or review of, an order or award referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) of this subitem.
(5) If, before the commencement of this Part, a court or Registrar purported to vary, revoke, set aside, revive or suspend an order or award referred to in subitem (4), the affected order is that order or award in the form in which, and to the extent to which, it purports or purported to have effect from time to time.
Note: If the affected order was declared or held to be invalid before the commencement of this Part, this Part does not apply in relation to the order: see item 5.
3 Additional provisions relating to order‑based rights or liabilities
Item applies to order‑based rights or liabilities
(1) This item applies in relation to rights or liabilities (order‑based rights or liabilities):
(a) that a person is declared by item 2 to have; and
(b) that were purportedly conferred, imposed or affected by an affected order.
New order made on basis that affected order was or might be invalid
(2) If:
(a) before the commencement of this Part, a court or Registrar made an order (the new order) on the basis that the affected order was or might be invalid; and
(b) the new order:
(i) conferred or imposed rights or liabilities similar to or different from those purportedly conferred or imposed by the affected order; or
(ii) affected rights or liabilities in the same way as they were purportedly affected by the affected order or in a different way;
item 2 is to be regarded as having ceased to have effect, in relation to the order‑based rights or liabilities, when the new order took effect.
Note 1: If the affected order was declared or held to be invalid before the commencement of this Part, this Part does not apply in relation to the order: see item 5.
Note 2: If the new order was made before 11 February 2012, the new order may itself be an affected order that gives rise to order‑based rights and liabilities.
Variation, revocation etc. of order‑based rights or liabilities
(3) A court or Registrar may vary, revoke, set aside, revive or suspend an order‑based right or liability in the same way as the court or Registrar could do so if the assumed matters had been the case.
(4) In addition to the powers of a court or Registrar under subitem (3), a court or Registrar also has power to make an order achieving any other result that could have been achieved if:
(a) the assumed matters had been the case; and
(b) the court or Registrar had been considering whether to vary, revoke, set aside, revive or suspend the affected order.
Generality of item 2 not limited
(5) Nothing in this item limits the generality of item 2.
4 Evidence
The court record, or a copy of the court record, of an affected order may be adduced in evidence to show the existence, nature and extent of an order‑based right or liability.
5 Part does not apply to certain orders
Nothing in this Part applies to an order declared or held to be invalid, or to have been made without power, by a court before the commencement of this Part.
6 Jurisdiction of courts
(1) Subject to subitem (3), jurisdiction is conferred on:
(a) the Family Court; and
(b) the Federal Magistrates Court; and
(c) the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory; and
(d) each court of summary jurisdiction of each Territory;
with respect to matters arising under this Part.
(2) Subject to subitem (3), each court of summary jurisdiction of each referring State is invested with federal jurisdiction with respect to matters arising under this Part.
(3) A court only has jurisdiction with respect to a matter arising under this Part if it has jurisdiction with respect to an equivalent matter arising under the Family Law Act 1975. The court’s jurisdiction under this Part is subject to the same conditions and limitations as would apply to it in dealing with the equivalent matter.
6A Effect of change of name of Federal Magistrates Court
To the extent that this Part applies after the commencement of Schedule 2 to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia Legislation Amendment Act 2012:
(a) a reference in this Part to the Federal Magistrates Act 1999 is taken to include a reference to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999; and
(b) a reference in this Part to the Federal Magistrates Court is taken to include a reference to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia.
Part 2—Orders on appeal from Family Law Magistrates of Western Australia
7 Interpretation
(1) In this Part:
affected order: see subitems 8(4) and (5).
assumed matters: see subitem 8(1).
court, except in items 11 and 12, has the same meaning as in the Family Law Act 1975, and also includes a court exercising jurisdiction in relation to a matter arising under this Part.
Family Court means the Family Court of Australia.
liability includes a duty, responsibility or obligation.
order includes a decree, judgement, declaration, injunction, direction or other decision.
order‑based rights or liabilities: see subitem 9(1).
Registrar means:
(a) a Registrar within the meaning of the Family Law Act 1975, to the extent that his or her powers were or are exercised under a delegation of the Family Court’s powers under Rules of Court made under section 37A of the Family Law Act 1975; or
(b) a Judicial Registrar appointed under section 26A of the Family Law Act 1975, to the extent that his or her powers were or are exercised under a delegation of the Family Court’s powers under Rules of Court made under section 26B of that Act; or
(c) a Registrar within the meaning of the Federal Magistrates Act 1999, to the extent that his or her powers were or are exercised:
(i) under section 102 of that Act; or
(ii) under a delegation of the Federal Magistrates Court’s powers under Rules of Court made under section 103 of that Act; or
(d) the Principal Registrar, a deputy registrar or a registrar of the Family Court of Western Australia, to the extent that his or her powers were or are exercised under a delegation of that Court’s powers under rules made under section 33 of the Family Court Act 1997 of Western Australia.
right includes an interest, status, power or authority.
(2) Any other expression has the same meaning in this Part as in the Family Law Act 1975.
8 Rights and liabilities of persons
(1) Subject to subitem (3), the rights and liabilities of all persons are, by force of this item, declared to be, and always to have been, the same as if the following matters (the assumed matters) had been the case:
(a) a Proclamation had been made under subsection 40(2) of the Family Law Act 1975 (as in force before the commencement of this Part), fixing 1 July 2006 as the date on and after which the jurisdiction of the Family Court under paragraph 93A(1)(aa) of that Act could be exercised, in Western Australia, in respect of appeals under subsection 94AAA(1A) of that Act;
(b) that Proclamation had been in force at all times from the start of 1 July 2006 to the end of 20 October 2011.
(2) Without limiting the effect of subitem (1):
(a) all persons are, by force of this item, declared to be, and always to have been, entitled to act on the basis that other persons had, and have, the rights and liabilities as declared by subitem (1); and
(b) a right or liability that a person is declared by subitem (1) to have, or to have had:
(i) is exercisable or enforceable; and
(ii) is to be regarded as always having been exercisable or enforceable;
as if the assumed matters had been the case; and
(c) the rights and liabilities that a person is declared by subitem (1) to have, or to have had, include any right the person would have or have had, if the assumed matters had been the case, to appeal, or to seek review of, an affected order.
(3) Subitem (1) does not apply to liabilities arising from a conviction (or purported conviction), before the commencement of this Part, of a person for an offence that relates to proceedings on an appeal under subsection 94AAA(1A).
(4) Subject to subitem (5), an affected order is:
(a) an order purportedly made, before 21 October 2011, by the Family Court in the exercise of jurisdiction under paragraph 93A(1)(aa) of the Family Law Act 1975 in respect of an appeal under subsection 94AAA(1A) of that Act; or
(b) an order purportedly made, before the commencement of this Part, on appeal from, or review of, an order referred to in paragraph (a) of this subitem.
(5) If, before the commencement of this Part, a court or Registrar purported to vary, revoke, set aside, revive or suspend an order referred to in subitem (4), the affected order is that order in the form in which, and to the extent to which, it purports or purported to have effect from time to time.
Note: If the affected order was declared or held to be invalid before the commencement of this Part, this Part does not apply in relation to the order: see item 11.
9 Additional provisions relating to order‑based rights or liabilities
Item applies to order‑based rights or liabilities
(1) This item applies in relation to rights or liabilities (order‑based rights or liabilities):
(a) that a person is declared by item 8 to have; and
(b) that were purportedly conferred, imposed or affected by an affected order.
Variation, revocation etc. of order‑based rights or liabilities
(2) A court or Registrar may vary, revoke, set aside, revive or suspend an order‑based right or liability in the same way as the court or Registrar could do so if the assumed matters had been the case.
(3) In addition to the powers of a court or Registrar under subitem (2), a court or Registrar also has power to make an order achieving any other result that could have been achieved if:
(a) the assumed matters had been the case; and
(b) the court or Registrar had been considering whether to vary, revoke, set aside, revive or suspend the affected order.
Generality of item 8 not limited
(4) Nothing in this item limits the generality of item 8.
10 Evidence
The court record, or a copy of the court record, of an affected order may be adduced in evidence to show the existence, nature and extent of an order‑based right or liability.
11 Part does not apply to certain orders
Nothing in this Part applies to an order declared or held to be invalid, or to have been made without power, by a court before the commencement of this Part.
12 Jurisdiction of courts
(1) Subject to subitem (3), jurisdiction is conferred on:
(a) the Family Court; and
(b) the Federal Magistrates Court; and
(c) the Supreme Court of each Territory; and
(d) each court of summary jurisdiction of each Territory;
with respect to matters arising under this Part.
(2) Subject to subitem (3):
(a) the Family Court of Western Australia; and
(b) each court of summary jurisdiction of each State;
is invested with federal jurisdiction with respect to matters arising under this Part.
(3) A court only has jurisdiction with respect to a matter arising under this Part if it has jurisdiction with respect to an equivalent matter arising under the Family Law Act 1975. The court’s jurisdiction under this Part is subject to the same conditions and limitations as would apply to it in dealing with the equivalent matter.
13 Effect of change of name of Federal Magistrates Court
To the extent that this Part applies after the commencement of Schedule 2 to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia Legislation Amendment Act 2012:
(a) a reference in this Part to the Federal Magistrates Act 1999 is taken to include a reference to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999; and
(b) a reference in this Part to the Federal Magistrates Court is taken to include a reference to the Federal Circuit Court of Australia.
Schedule 2—Amendments
Family Law Act 1975
1 Section 40 (heading)
Repeal the heading, substitute:
40 Limitations on jurisdiction of Family Court and of State and Territory Supreme Courts
2 Subsections 40(1) and (2)
Repeal the subsections, substitute:
(1) The regulations may provide that, from a date specified in the regulations (not being a date before the regulations are registered under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003), the jurisdiction of the Family Court under this Act in relation to all proceedings, or a specified class of proceedings, must not be exercised in a specified State or Territory, or in 2 or more specified States and Territories.
3 Subsection 40(5)
Omit “subsections (2) and (3)”, substitute “subsection (3)”.
4 Application of amendments
The amendments made by this Schedule apply in relation to the exercise of jurisdiction after the commencement of this Schedule (even if the proceedings in which the jurisdiction is exercised were initiated before that commencement).