News 2017

Children's Law News Volume 2 2017 issued

August 2017: CLN Volume 2 includes a number of cases and papers which are of relevance to the Children's Court jurisdiction.

Closure of Bidura Children's Court - Important information

July 2017: The Children's Court at 357 Glebe Point Rd Glebe known as Bidura Children's Court will close permanently from Friday 7 July 2017. The final sitting day at 357 Glebe Point Rd Glebe will be Thursday 6 July 2017.

From Monday 10 July 2017 Bidura Children's Court will sit at Parramatta Children's Court at 2 George St Parramatta. Clients can continue to contact Bidura Children's Court through the same telephone numbers, email address and facsimile number.

An additional venue for the hearing of some care matters will be the Civic Building, Level 14, 66 Goulburn St, Sydney. The telephone number for the Children's Court at the Civic Building, Sydney will be 9307 6391.

To assist clients, a flyer has been produced, providing information about and directions to the alternate locations.

Care Jurisdiction - Introduction of JusticeLink

July 2017: JusticeLink is the new electronic case management system for the Children's Court care jurisdiction, and replaces the current manual registry processes for all care matters in New South Wales. Justicelink will go live on 1 July 2017.

Along with delivering key benefits for the Children's Court, the Justicelink project has enabled the Court to review practice and procedure to deliver a number of benefits to clients.

Legal practitioners will now be able to access certain information about a client's case electronically via the NSW Online Registry website. To access information via the Online Registry legal practitioners will need to:

1. Fill Form 24 'Notice of acting' and file it at your nearest Children's Court registry.
2. Complete the registration process on the NSW Online Registry website: onlineregistry.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/content.
   

Updated Practice Notes 5 and 6

July 2017: To coincide with the introduction of JusticeLink, the President has issued an updated Practice Note 5 and Practice Note 6, which can be accessed under Practice and Procedure.

The key changes are:

• Legal practitioners will no longer file a Notice to Authorised Clinician to attend Court. The Notice will be issued by the Registry assuming information about the Clinician's availability is provided when the case is set down for hearing (via the new application for hearing date to be set).
• Once a matter has been set down for hearing any further material for the Authorised Clinician must be provided before the readiness hearing.
• The Court will consider whether a matter should be referred to a DRC before the preparation of a final care plan.
• The Secretary is to file a copy of each child's birth certificate at the same time the final care plan is filed.
• Parties are no longer required to file their bundle of subpoenaed documents before the hearing.

Updated Form 13 'Application for hearing date to be set'

June 2017: The President has issued an updated Form 13 'Application for hearing date to be set', which has been uploaded under the 'care and protection forms' in 'Forms and Fees'. Practitioners are expected to use this form from June 2017 onwards.

Judge Peter Johnstone reappointed as President of the Children's Court of New South Wales

June 2017: Attorney General Mark Speakman has announced the reappointment of Judge Peter Johnstone as the President of the Children's Court of NSW. Judge Johnstone's new term as President of the Children's Court began on 1 June 2017 and expires on 7 July 2021.

For further information see the Department of Justice Ministerial media release dated 3 June 2017.

Children's Law News Volume 1 2017 issued

May 2017: CLN Volume 1 2017 includes a number of cases and papers which are of relevance to the Children's Court jurisdiction.

Change to sitting arrangements affecting the Hunter Circuit

May 2017: The President of the Children's Court has confirmed a change to the sitting arrangements affecting the Hunter Circuit.​

The following links show the current sitting arrangements for the Children's Court.

Children's Court sitting arrangements as at 2017

Children's Court circuit arrangements as at 2017

Change to sitting arrangements affecting Woy Woy and Wyong Children's Courts

March 2017: The President of the Children's Court has confirmed a change to the sitting arrangements affecting Woy Woy and Wyong Children's Courts

Change to sitting arrangements affecting Sutherland Children's Court and Port Kembla Children's Court

January 2017: The President of the Children's Court has confirmed a change to the sitting arrangements affecting Sutherland Children's Court and Port Kembla Children's Court. Minor changes have also been made to the Mid-North Coast circuit.