Committee Report recommends Passage of Courts and Tribunals Legislation Amendment (Administration) Bill 2012

The Courts and Tribunals Legislation Amendment (Administration) Bill 2012, which was introduced into Federal Parliament December of last year, has received its tabled advisory report from the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs. The committee has recommended that the House of Representatives pass the Bill.

The Bill seeks to amend the Native Title Act 1993, the Family Law Act 1975, and the Federal Magistrates Act 1999, by improving the administrative structures and processes of the National Native Title Tribunal, the Federal Court of Australia, the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia.

As well as recommending the passage of the Bill, the Committee also made recommendations in relation to the operation of the Native Title Act 1993. It stated that “The Committee recommends that the Attorney-General, in accordance with section 209(2) of the Native Title Act 1993, direct the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner to include in the yearly reports on the operation of the Native Title Act 1993 consideration of the functioning of the National Native Title Tribunal, and in particular:

-          the adequacy of tribunal resourcing to effectively fulfil its functions, and

-           its effect on the exercise of the human rights of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

Click here to read the full Committee Report.

Our LawOne Service provides over 70, 000 links to cases discussing legislative provisions – just one of the features of the premium legal product on the market today.