From today, litigants involved in matters in the Federal Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court, will first be required to file a statement setting out what genuine steps they have taken to resolve their dispute and, if they took none, to explain why.
This new process is required under the Civil Dispute Resolution Act 2011 which came into force today. According to the Federal Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, the changes to Australia’s legal system will result in more people resolving disputes before going to court, saving money, time and stress.
Mr McClelland said the reforms commencing today as part of the will fundamentally change the way people resolve issues in the federal courts: Australia’s legal system is changing – we are moving away from an adversarial culture of litigation to a resolution-based approach to disputes, this means greater opportunities for resolution, rather than a system that prioritises ‘winners and losers’.
Read the full press release here: REFORM_TO AUSTRALIAN_FEDERAL_LEGAL_SYSTEM