FED: New Family Court judges too late to stop delays: ALP

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-1998
FED: New Family Court judges too late to stop delays: ALP

CANBERRA, Dec 10 AAP - The filling of two Family Court vacancies today had come too late to
stop mounting delays, opposition legal affairs spokesman Robert McClelland said.

Michael Watt, QC, 53, will start next Monday as a judge in the Family Court in Melbourne,
replacing Justice John Fogarty, and a week later Peter Rose, QC, 57, will fill a vacancy in
Sydney created by the retirement of Justice Margaret Renaud.

Mr McClelland said Attorney-General Daryl Williams had been consistently tardy in filling
Family Court vacancies.

"Since Mr Williams became Attorney-General he has delayed filling every one of the 10
vacancies that have arisen," Mr McClelland said in a statement.

"In total, Mr Williams has delayed filling these vacancies for a staggering 56 months."

The Law Council of Australia said that added almost 550 cases to waiting lists, which would
take five judges sitting non-stop for a year to clear the backlog.

The council wanted eight more judges appointed and Mr McClelland said Mr Williams could
appoint four more without legislation having to be amended.

These extras would help cover periods before retiring judges could be replaced.

AAP fh/mfh/kr

KEYWORD: JUDGES LABOR

1998 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.