Theplan to abolish the Family Court of Australia as a stand-alone court and merge it with the lower-level Federal Circuit Court – which handles some family law matters alongside other cases,including migration matters – had been roundly criticised by Labor and senior legal figures.
Mr Porter had touted the merger as a means of improving efficiency in family law cases and clearing a backlog of about 20,000 matters,but critics said resourcing was the key to fixing the problem.
Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said:"If the Coalition loses the upcoming election,this will be Mr Porter’s legacy as Attorney-General – a failed attempt to destroy the Family Court."
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The peak body for the legal profession,the Law Council of Australia,had been vocal in its opposition to the merger,arguing families were better off with a specialised Family Court.
The council's president,Sydney barrister Arthur Moses,SC,said"merging one court with another does not address significant underlying issues,including chronic underfunding and under-resourcing,which have led to crippling delays,pressures and costs"in the family law system.
He called on the government to release a landmark Australian Law Reform Commission review of the family law system,which was delivered to the government on March 31.