Question On Notice No. 366 asked in the Legislative Council on 9 November 2021 by Hon James Hayward
Question Directed to the: Parliamentary Secretary representing the Attorney General
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
I refer to Family Court operations, and I ask:
(a) what was the average wait time for a family court case to come before a judge in Bunbury;
(b) has the Attorney General received any complaints in relation to the time it takes until a case can be heard by the Family Court in Western Australia;
(c) is the Attorney General concerned that delays in Family Court matters can have significant impacts on the lives of affected parties; and
(d) are there any plans to increase funding for the Family Court with the view to reducing wait times?
Answered on 14 December 2021
(a) From 1 October 2020 to 1 October 2021 (the past year) the median wait time for a matter to come before a Judicial Officer from the time of lodging until the first court event in Bunbury was 12 weeks.
(b)-(c) The Attorney General appreciates both the emotional and financial effects that family law proceedings can have on families. The Attorney General considers that it is in the best interests of all parties to legal matters that they be resolved as soon as practicable Parties to such proceedings raise concerns with the Attorney General from time-to-time.
(d) Funding to the Family Court of Western Australia for Judicial resources is the responsibility of the Commonwealth Government.