PGPA Act Determination (Federal Circuit and Family Court Litigants' Fund Special Account 2023)

Dated        22      /     08    / 2023

KATY GALLAGHER

Contents

Part 1—Establishment                                                                                                  1

1  Name........................................................................................................................................ 1

2  Commencement........................................................................................................................ 1

3  Authority.................................................................................................................................. 1

4  Definitions................................................................................................................................ 1

5  Establishment of the special account......................................................................................... 2

6  Accountable authority responsible for the special account........................................................ 2

Part 2—Special account credits and debits                                                                 2

7  Amounts that may be credited to the special account................................................................ 2

8  Purposes of the special account................................................................................................ 2

Part 3—Transitional, revocation and repeal provisions                                            3

9  Opening balance of the special account.................................................................................... 3

10  Revocation of Litigants' Fund instrument............................................................................... 3

11  Additional repeal provisions................................................................................................... 3

Part 1—Establishment

1  Name

                   This instrument is the PGPA Act Determination (Federal Circuit and Family Court Litigants' Fund Special Account 2023).

2  Commencement

             (1)  Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

             (2)  Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any version of this instrument published on the Federal Register of Legislation.

3  Authority

                   This instrument is made under subsections 78(1) and 78(3) of the Act.

4  Definitions

                   In this instrument:

Act means the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.

Litigants' Fund instrument means the FMA Act (Litigants' Fund Special Account) Determination 2013/06.

Litigants' Fund special account means the Litigants' Fund Special Account established by the Litigants' Fund instrument.

the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia means the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia as defined in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021.

the Federal Court of Australia means the Federal Court as defined in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021.

the special account means the Federal Circuit and Family Court Litigants' Fund Special Account 2023 established by this instrument.

5  Establishment of the special account

                   For paragraph 78(1)(a) of the Act, the Federal Circuit and Family Court Litigants' Fund Special Account 2023 is established as a special account.

6  Accountable authority responsible for the special account

                   For paragraph 78(1)(d) of the Act, the accountable authority responsible for the special account is the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Court of Australia.

Part 2—Special account credits and debits

7  Amounts that may be credited to the special account

                   For paragraph 78(1)(b) of the Act, the following amounts may be credited to the special account:

(a)      amounts received in respect of proceedings of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia;

(b)     amounts received in respect of proceedings that have been transferred from another court to the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia;

(c)      the proceeds of an investment of an amount debited from the special account.

Note:                 Subsection 58(5) of the Act requires the proceeds of an investment (within the meaning of that provision) of an amount debited from a special account to be credited to that special account.

8  Purposes of the special account

For paragraph 78(1)(c) of the Act, the purposes of the special account, in relation to which amounts may be debited from the special account, are:

(a)      to make payments in accordance with an order (however described) made under the Family Law Act 1975 or the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021, or made by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, or a Judge of that Court;

(b)     to repay amounts where a court order, Act or other law requires or permits the repayment of an amount received; and 

(c)      to reduce the balance of the special account (and, therefore, the available appropriation for the special account) without making a real or notional payment.

Part 3—Transitional, revocation and repeal provisions

9  Opening balance of the special account

(1)   For paragraph 78(1)(b) of the Act, the amount in subsection 9(2) (opening balance) is required to be credited to the special account immediately after its establishment.

(2)   The opening balance is equal to the amount standing to the credit of the Litigants' Fund special account immediately prior to the commencement of this instrument.

10  Revocation of Litigants' Fund instrument

                   For subsection 78(3) of the Act, the Litigants' Fund instrument is revoked.

11  Additional repeal provisions

(1)   For subsection 78(3) of the Act, Part 3 of this instrument is repealed at the end of the seventh day after the revocation of the Litigants' Fund instrument under section 10 (date of repeal).

(2)   For subsection 78(3) of the Act, the following definitions in section 4 are repealed on the date of repeal:

(a)    definition of Litigants' Fund instrument;

(b)   definition of Litigants' Fund special account.

(3)   Despite subsection 11(1), the effects of Part 3 of this instrument remain in force after the date of repeal.