Appendix 7 - Judge activities | Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia

Chief Judge William Alstergren

Professional and other memberships

National Judicial College of Australia
Law Institute of Victoria
Victorian Bar
Judicial College of Australia
International Hague Network of Judges

Conferences and events attended during the year

28 July 2020, Religious Courts Agency of the Supreme Court of Indonesia; Supreme Court of Indonesia, 16 Years Cooperation – Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia, Director-General of the Religious Courts Agency of the Supreme Court of Indonesia and the Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia. Webinar. Speaker.
30 July 2020, LAWASIA and World Congress on Family Law & Children’s Rights, Courts and COVID-19: Operating in a Pandemic and What we Learned. Webinar. Panellist Speaker.
14 September 2020, National Judicial College of Australia, Warm transfers Webinar: Family Violence in the Court eLearning program. Presented: Welcome Speech.
30 September 2020, Wolters Kluwer, Launch of CCH – Australian Family Law Cases 45th Anniversary – commemorative edition. Webinar. Presented: Opening Speech.
6 November 2020, International Bar Association, IBA 2020 – Virtually Together. Webinar. Presented: Open for justice in the COVID age – how Courts have responded to the international pandemic.
3 December 2020, Australian and New Zealand Mental Health Association Inc., National STOP Domestic Violence Conference, Gold Coast. Launch of the Lighthouse Project.
17 February 2021, Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia, Annual Report Ceremony. Webinar.
2 March 2021, Australian Law Reform Commission and Australian Academy of Law, Public Confidence, Apprehended Bias, and the Modern Federal Judiciary Seminar. Webinar.
12 March 2021, Queensland Law Society, 2021 Queensland Legal Profession Dinner, Brisbane, Speakers: Dr Jacoba Brasch QC (LCA), the Hon Shannon Fentiman MP (Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence).
19 March 2021, Queensland Law Society, 2021 Symposium. Webinar. Speaker.
19 March 2021, The College of Law, Family Law Judges’ Series 2021. Webinar. Presented: Policy, case management and ADR.
24 March 2021, Law Council of Australia, Access to Justice and the Covid-19 Pandemic Webinar Series. Webinar. Panellist: Courting innovation: Australia’s judicial system in the context of COVID-19.
27 April 2021, Family Court of Australia and Federal Circuit Court of Australia, Opening of the new Rockhampton Court Building, Rockhampton. Speaker.
30 April 2021, Family Division, Royal Courts of Justice (UK), Oral Evidence Session of the Transparency Review. Webinar. Panel member.
18 May 2021, Victorian Law Foundation, Victorian Law Week 2021 Webinar: Domestic Violence in the New COVID-19 ‘Normal’. Webinar. Speaker.
20 May 2021, Family Law Practitioners Association of Tasmania and Law Society of Tasmania, Dinner for the Honourable Justice Robert Benjamin AM, Hobart.

Judge Rolf Driver

Professional and other memberships

New South Wales Bar Association
Australian Institute of Judicial Administration
Judicial Conference of Australia
Law Council of Australia (Federal Litigation Section)
International Association of Refugee and Migration Judges

Conferences and events attended during the year

19–23 April 2021, Learned Friends Professional Education, Welcome to the New Year, Brisbane.

Judge Michael Jarrett

Conferences and events attended during the year

28 January 2021, Family Law Practitioners Association Queensland, Welcome to the New Year, Brisbane.
19 February 2021, Clarence River and Coffs Harbour Regional Law Society and Family Law Practitioners Association, Alternate Dispute Resolution in Family Law, Coffs Harbour.
12 March 2021, Queensland Law Society, Legal Profession Dinner, Brisbane.

Judge Kevin Lapthorn

Professional and other memberships

Judicial Conference of Australia
Australian Institute of Judicial Administration
Association of International Family Judges
Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
Bar Association of Queensland
New South Wales Bar Association

Conferences and events attended during the year

10 November 2020, The College of Law, In My Court: Judges of the Federal Circuit Court. Live webinar.
24 February 2021, Legal Aid Queensland, Board Strategic Planning Day, Brisbane.
16 April 2021, National Judicial College Australia, Effective Judicial Presentation Program, Sydney.

Judge Kate Hughes

Professional and other memberships

Judicial Conference of Australia
National Judicial College of Australia

Conferences and events attended during the year

22 October 2020, Canberra Regional Family Law Professionals Association, Seminar, Canberra. Panel discussion.
23 June 2021, Family Court of Australia and Federal Circuit Court of Australia, National Family Law Registrar Plenary Education Conference – June 2021, Canberra. Paper presented: Court Craft and How to manage a busy list.
25 June 2021, National Judicial College of Australia, Family Violence in the Court – Training for State Magistrates, Adelaide, Paper presented: Bridging the Jurisdictional Gap: State based Family Violence Orders and Federal Family Law.

Judge Antoni Lucev

Professional and other memberships

Western Australian Bar Association (Honorary Judicial member)

Conferences and events attended during the year

Contributing author, Law Continuing Professional Development.

Judge Stephen Coates

Professional and other memberships

Queensland Bar Association
Australian Institute of Judicial Administration
International Bar Association
Judicial Conference of Australia
Associate of Family and Conciliation Courts
Family Law Section
Family Law Practitioners Association of Queensland

Conferences and events attended during the year

26 February 2021, Gold Coast District Law Association, Meet the Judiciary Breakfast Function, Main Beach, Gold Coast.

Judge Warwick Neville

Professional and other memberships

ACT Bar Association
Thomas More Society

Judge Dale Kemp

Professional and other memberships

Board Member of Australian Institute of Family Law Arbitrators and Mediators (nominated member for the Federal Circuit Court)
Committee Member Anglo Australasian Lawyers Society (Vice President)
Committee Member Family Law Committee of the International Bar Association
Law School Advisory Board Member – University of Notre Dame, Sydney

Conferences and events attended during the year

15 October 2020, Supreme Court of New South Wales, Address by President of NSW Court of Appeal Dr A Bell, Sydney.
2–5 November 2020, International Bar Association, Annual Conference. Virtual.
6 November 2020, International Bar Association, International adoption. Webinar.
5 May 2021, History Committee Australia Club, Roman Law, Sydney.
6 May 2021, Affinity Intercultural Foundation, dinner, Sydney. Paper presented: The role of the Court in parenting matters, practically in the time of the pandemic.
19 May 2021, Anglo Australasian Lawyers Society, Dr Renwick SC, Sydney.

Judge Margaret Cassidy

Professional and other memberships

Bar Association of Queensland
Women’s Lawyers Association of Queensland
Australian Association of Women Judges
Judicial Conference of Australia

Judge Evelyn Bender

Professional and other memberships

Australian Association of Women Judges
International Association of Women Judges
Judicial Conference of Australia
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Judicial Advisory Group on Family Violence
Family Law Information Sharing Protocol Committee
Law Institute of Victoria, Young Lawyers’ Journal Interview
Family Violence and Cross-examination of Parties Bill Steering Committee

Conferences and events attended during the year

14 September 2020, Victorian Women Lawyers, 2020 Warren Moot, Victoria, via Zoom.
6 November 2020, Law Sense, Law for Mental Health Practitioners, Victoria, via Zoom.

Judge Anne Demack

Professional and other memberships

Bar Association of Queensland
Australian Association of Women Judges
Family Law Practitioners Association
Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
Australian Institute of Judicial Administration
Selden Society
Child Protection Practitioners Association of Queensland

Conferences and events attended during the year

17 September 2020, Farewell Ceremony of Judge Michael Burnett AM, District Court.
17 September 2020, Farewell Drinks, Judge Michael Burnett AM, District Court.
15 October 2020, Rockhampton Bar Dinner.
16 October 2020, Welcoming Ceremony, Judge Clarke, District Court Queensland.
19 November 2020, Queensland Law Society, Celebrate, Recognise and Socialise Dinner.
4 December 2020, Central Queensland Law Association, Christmas Function.
18 January 2021, Meeting with Jason Garrick, Acting Principal Lawyer, Legal Aid Queensland.
4 March 2021, Meeting with Regional Manager for Relationship Australia regarding – Central Queensland Domestic and Family Violence and Post separation programs.
27 April 2021, Opening of the Commonwealth Law Courts, Rockhampton.
11 May 2021, Mackay Family Pathways, Mackay Solicitors and Mackay Family Pathways, Guest Speaker, Mackay.
28–30 May 2021, North Queensland Law Association, Guest Speaker, North Queensland, Law Association Conference 2021, Mackay.
1 June 2021, Meeting with Mackay Children’s Contact Centre.
7 June 2021, Meeting with William Prizeman. Acting Principal Lawyer, Legal Aid Queensland.
25 June 2021, Welcome Drinks, Rockhampton Bar for Julie Marsden and Meghan Rothery.
29 June 2021, Child Protection Practitioners Association Presentation.

Judge Geoffrey Monahan

Professional and other memberships

International Bar Association (Chair, Judges Forum 2019-2020; Member, Judges Forum Advisory Committee 2021–22)
Association of International Family Judges
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Law Council of Australia, Family Law Section
Law Society of New South Wales

Conferences and events attended during the year

2–27 November 2020, International Bar Association, 2020 – Virtually Together Conference, London, England via Zoom. Presented: Open for justice in the COVID age – how courts have responded to the pandemic. Session Co-Chair.

Judge Peter Cole OAM

Professional and other memberships

National Judicial College of Australia
Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration
Judicial Conference of Australia
Law Society of Western Australia
South Australian Law Society
Family Law Section Law Council of Australia
Family Law Practitioners Association of Western Australia
Family Law Practitioners Association Queensland
LawAsia
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

Conferences and events attended during the year

20–22 January 2021, Law Society Northern Territory, Start at the Top Family Law Conference, Darwin.
5–6 June 2021, International Bar Association, Bali in the Barossa Family Law Conference, Barossa Valley, South Australia.

Judge Josephine Willis AM

Professional and other memberships

The Australian and International Association

of Women’s Judges
Australian Institute of Judicial Administration
Judicial Council of Australia
Bar Association of Queensland, Associate Member
Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia
Family Law Practitioners Association Queensland
Life Member – North Queensland Women’s Legal Service
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Mentor
Far North Queensland Law Association, student mentor program.

Conferences and events attended during the year

13 August 2020, Family Law Arbitrations Group (Qld), Arbitrating in Queensland Regions, via Zoom.
14 October 2020, Queensland Law Society, Celebrate, Recognise and Socialise, Brisbane.
27–28 May 2021, North Queensland Law Associate, Conference, Mackay. Paper presented: Just and equitable considerations in property matters – look at the bigger picture before you make assumptions about percentage contributions or assume a party is entitled to a property order.
2 June 2021, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Professional Alliance – National Reconciliation Week Panel National Webinar Event Brisbane. Paper presented: What are some of the major issues today in addressing structural and systemic racism.

Judge Alexandra Harland

Professional and other memberships

Australian Judicial Officers Association
Australian Law Reform Commission Judicial Impartiality Inquiry
Australian Judicial Officers Association
International Committee, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (United States of America)
International Committee, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (United States of America).
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
International Women Judges Association
Australian Women Judges Association
International Family Judges Association
Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration
Family Law Section, Law Council of Australia
Law Society of NSW (Honorary Judicial Member)
Women’s Lawyers Northern Territory (Honorary Judicial Member)
Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration Incorporated
National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (United States of America)

Conferences and events attended during the year

14 September 2020, National Judicial College of Australia, NJCA eLearning program for judges dealing with family violence issues. Virtual.
14 October 2020, NSW Judicial Commission, Implicit Bias against Indigenous Australians. Virtual.
19 October 2020, LexisNexis Research Webinar, Dissecting case law and legislation on Lexis Advance. Virtual.
22 October 2020, Family and Children Law Research Group – University of Melbourne, Finding the appropriate forum in international family litigation, Melbourne.
23 November 2020, International Academy of Family Law/LawAsia/World Congress Webinar, When Home is Where the Violence Is – The Pandemic Paradox.
9 February 2021, Australian Law Reform Commission, Consultation with Members of the Judicial Impartiality Inquiry Team.
21 May 2021, Family Law Practitioners Association (Tasmania), Surrogacy, Identity, Parentage and Children’s Rights, Hobart, Tasmania, Through the Eyes of a Child.

Judge Salvatore Vasta

Professional and other memberships

Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration
Judicial Conference of Australia
Bar Association of Queensland – judicial member
Medico-Legal Society of Queensland
International Association of Prosecutors – honorary Member and Member of the IAP Senate

Judge Tony Young

Conferences and events attended during the year

15 February 2021, Family Law Pathways Network Alice Springs, Community Legal Education session with the Alice Springs Pathways members and the Alice Springs practitioners, Darwin, via Microsoft Teams.

Judge Steven Middleton

Professional and other memberships

North Queensland Legal Association
Queensland Law Society
Family Law Practitioners’ Association of Queensland
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts
Judicial Conference of Australia

Conferences and events attended during the year

31 October 2020, Bar Association Maroochydore, Bar Association Conference, Maroochydore, Queensland. Paper presented: Lighthouse Project and joining ethics panel.
10 November 2020, College of Law, In My Court. Webinar. Panel discussion on Court’s expectations.
21–24 January 2021, Darwin Family Law, Start at the Top End Family Law Conference, Darwin. Panel discussion.
26 March 2021, College of Law, Family Law Judge’s Series. Webinar. Paper presented: Parental alienation – are we friend or foe.
22 April 2021, College of Law, Family Law Skills program, Brisbane. Webinar. Paper presented: What Do I Say and How Do I Say It: Framing Submissions.
22 April 2021, Family Law Practitioners Association of Queensland, Judge Middleton series – advocacy and courtroom preparation, Brisbane. Webinar. Paper presented: Preparation and advocacy relating to interim property applications.
6 May 2021, College of Law, Family Law Skills program, Brisbane. Webinar. Paper presented: Stepping up To Run Your Clients Case.
24 May and 15 June 2021, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, Australian Charter, Planning sessions for Plenary, via Microsoft Teams. Panel.
17 June 2021, Sunshine Coast Family Law accredited specialist, Arbitration – how to get started key points along the way, Maroochydore, Queensland, Paper presented: Arbitration.

Judge Brana Obradovic

Professional and other memberships

Judicial Conference Australia
Australian Association of Women Judges
New South Wales Bar Association
International Bar Association
Women Lawyer’s Association
Australian Institute of Judicial Administration

Conferences and events attended during the year

10 December 2020, Australian Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia and Crisis Centre Hope in North Macedonia, Institutional Protection to Prevent Domestic Violence and Guarantee Basic Human Rights Online Conference. Virtual. Paper presented: The Lighthouse Project.

Judge Jane Costigan

Professional and other memberships

NSW Law Society
Australian Judicial Officers Association

Conferences and events attended during the year

6–7 May 2021, Coffs Harbour Family Law Pathways Network, Coffs Harbour FLPN Annual one day conference, Coffs Harbour. Paper presented: COVID-19 impact on Court process.

Judge Gregory Egan

Professional and other memberships

Bar Association of Queensland
United Service Club Queensland
Gallery of Modern Art
Australian Ballet
Disciplinary Appeals Panel for Queensland Cricket

Conferences and events attended during the year

27 August 2020, Griffith University, Michael Whincop Memorial Lecture 2020, Brisbane. Paper presented: Too Much Information: Civilisation and the Problem of Privacy.

Judge Christopher Kendall

Professional and other memberships

West Australian Bar Association
Editorial Board, Intellectual Property Forum: The Journal of the Intellectual Property Society Australia and New Zealand

Conferences and events attended during the year

21 October 2020, Lexis Nexis, Search strategy and surfacing content efficiently education seminar. Virtual. Introductory remarks.
4 November 2020, Consul General of the United States of America, A Ballot Breakfast, Perth.
15 March 2021, Law Council of Australia, Annual Immigration Law Conference. Virtual. Keynote speaker: Effective Advocacy before the AAT and Federal Circuit Court of Australia.
22 April 2021, Federal Circuit Court of Australia, Judicial education. Sexual Harassment: Issues of Process and Culture, with Professor Catharine MacKinnon. Virtual. Introductory remarks.
17 May 2021, Law Access, Walk for Justice, Perth, Event ambassador.

Judge Caroline Kirton

Professional and other memberships

Australian Judicial Officers Association
Australian Association of Women Judges
Hellenic Australian Lawyers
Asian Australian Lawyers Association

Conferences and events attended during the year

3 September 2020, Melbourne University Law Students’ Society, Melbourne University Law Students’ Society Herbert Smith Freehills First Year Mooting Competition 2020 Grand Final. Virtual.
2 May 2021, International Association of Judges, Asian, North American and Oceanic Group, Mid-year meeting. Virtual.

Judge Bruce Smith

Professional and other memberships

Australian Judicial Officers Association
Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

Conferences and events attended during the year

6 March 2021, Toongabbie Legal Centre, Family Law CLE, Blacktown. Paper presented: Framework social science expert evidence in interim parenting hearings: New options?.

Judge Karl Blake

Professional and other memberships

Cultural Diversity Justice Network
Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity

Conferences and events attended during the year

11 June 2021, Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity meeting. Virtual.

Judge Douglas Humphreys OAM

Professional and other memberships

National Judicial College
Australian Judicial Officers Association
Honourable Judicial Member of the Law Society
Colonel Australian Army Legal Corp (A Res)
Patron of the Burwood RSL

Judge Monica Neville

Conferences and events attended during the year

13 November 2020, Lawsense, Law for Mental Health Practitioners, NSW. Virtual. Paper presented: Court’s expectations of Mental Health Practitioners in legal proceedings.
18 March 2021, Illawarra and Southern Highlands Family Law Pathways Network, 2021 Judicial Dinner, Wollongong. Paper presented: Where children are resistant to a parent in the absence of allegations of family violence, abuse or neglect: court’s approach.
22 March 2021, Greater Sydney Family Law Pathways Network, eSmarts in Family Law: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Sydney. Panel member: e-Safety for parents and children.
21 April 2021, South Coast Family Law Pathways Network, 2021 Judicial Dinner, Nowra. Paper presented: Family Violence and property proceeding.

Judge Anna Boymal

Conferences and events attended during the year

Wednesday 21 April 2021, Northern Suburbs Law Association Inc., April 2021 CPD Meeting, Melbourne, Paper presented: Supervised Time and Risk.