The Australian Women's Register

Established in 1861, the Supreme Court is the highest court in Western Australia, with responsibility for both criminal and civil matters. Additionally, it is the State’s main appeal court. The Supreme Court is divided into two divisions – the General Division and the Court of Appeal. The Court comprises the Chief Justice, 20 Judges, one Master, the Principal Registrar and eight Registrars.

The Court of Appeal Division of the Supreme Court was established on 1 February 2005 following the proclamation of the Acts Amendment (Court of Appeal) Act 2004. The Court hears appeals from decisions of a single judge of the Supreme Court and from judges of the District Court as well as various other courts and tribunals. It also hears criminal appeals against sentences, such as the length of imprisonment, and appeals against conviction.

The Supreme Court of Victoria is the superior court in the State. As such, it hears among the most serious criminal, and complex civil, cases in the state, as well as some appeals from Victorian courts and tribunals. It comprises two divisions, namely the Trial Division and the Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court sat for the first time on 10 February 1852.

Established in 1994, the Court of Appeal – one of the two divisions of the Supreme Court of Victoria (the other being the Trial Division) – determines whether a trial was conducted fairly, and whether the law was correctly applied. A bench, usually comprising three judges, hears criminal or civil cases decided in the County Court or Supreme Court Trial Division, and some appeals from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Currently 12 judges serve on the Court of Appeal.

The Supreme Court of South Australia is the superior court of the State and is a court of both law and equity. It deals with the most important civil cases and the most serious criminal matters. In its appellate jurisdiction, the Supreme Court reviews and determines errors which may have occurred in other courts of the State and interprets and expounds the law for the guidance of other courts. The court was set up by ordinance of 7 Will. IV c.5 on 2 January 1837, five days after the Colony of South Australia was founded. Its first sitting was held on 13 May 1837.

The Supreme Court is the highest court in Queensland. It is made up of two divisions: the Trial Division and the Court of Appeal. While the Trial Division hears the most serious criminal cases, as well as all civil matters involving amounts of more than $750,000, the Court of Appeal hears appeals from the District and Supreme Courts and also from tribunals.

The Court of Appeal is one of the two divisions of the Supreme Court of Queensland, the other being the Trial Division. Established in 1991, the Court of Appeal hears appeals from the District and Supreme Courts and from tribunals. Decisions of the Court of Appeal are made by a panel of three to five judges of the Supreme Court.

The Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission was established in 1993 with the aim of eliminating discrimination by raising awareness about the rights and responsibilities of individuals under the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Act. The Commission has three main roles: public education and training; the handling of complaints and community engagement.

The Magistrates’ Court of South Australia was established by the Magistrates Court Act 1991. The Court handles the greatest proportion of litigation in the State. It has four jurisdictions: Civil (General Claims); Civil (Minor Claims); Civil (Consumer and Business) and Criminal.

The A.C.T. (Australian Capital Territory) Magistrates Court (known as the Court of Petty Sessions from November 1930 until 1 February 1986) operates under the Magistrates Court Act 1930. The Act provides the Court with summary jurisdiction to hear both civil and criminal matters. Magistrates in the A.C.T. are appointed by the executive government after having worked as legal practitioners for more than five years. Magistrates hear civil disputes between individuals or groups such as corporations and associations; they also hear A.C.T. offences which carry a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment or less and Commonwealth offences with a maximum penalty of less than one year. In addition, they hear matters in the Children’s Court, Coroner’s Court and Industrial Court.

The High Court is the highest court in the Australian judicial system. Established in 1901 by Section 71 of the Constitution, the functions of the High Court are: to interpret and apply the law of Australia; to decide cases of special federal significance including challenges to the constitutional validity of laws and to hear appeals, by special leave, from Federal, State and Territory courts. The High Court has a maximum of seven justices, including a chief justice.

Formerly known as the Federal Magistrates Court of Australia, the Federal Circuit Court of Australia is an independent federal court under the Australian Constitution which was established by the Federal Circuit Court of Australia Act 1999 (formerly the Federal Magistrates Act). The jurisdiction of the Federal Circuit Court broadly includes family law and child support, administrative law, admiralty law, bankruptcy, copyright, human rights, industrial law, migration, privacy and trade practices. The first chief magistrate of the Federal Circuit Court was the Hon. Diana Bryant AO, the current Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia.

The Family Law Council, which began operations in 1976, is a statutory authority established under section 115 of the Family Law Act 1975. It advises and makes recommendations to the Attorney-General with regard to: the workings of the Family Law Act and other legislation relating to family law; the working of legal aid in relation to family law and any other matters relating to family law. The Council comprises a chairperson and usually eight to 10 members who are appointed by the Attorney-General in consultation with the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The District Court is constituted under the District Court of Queensland Act 1967 (QLD). It deals with serious criminal offences such as rape, armed robbery and fraud. It also hears appeals from cases decided in the Magistrates’ Court and disputes involving sums greater than $150,000 but less than $750,000. The judges of the District Court also sit in the Planning and Environment Court and in the Children’s Court of Queensland.

The District Court of New South Wales is the intermediate court in the state’s judicial hierarchy. It is a trial court – the largest in Australia – and it has an appellate jurisdiction. The Court’s judges, of which there are more than 60, also preside over a number of tribunals. The District Court Act 1858 (22 Vic No 18), which was assented to on 12 November 1858, established district courts and divided the then Colony of New South Wales into Districts. The District Court Act 1973 established a single District Court of New South Wales, with a state-wide criminal and civil jurisdiction.

The County Court of Victoria is the intermediate court in the Victorian court hierarchy and the principal trial court in the State. County Courts were established in 1852 by the County Courts Act, which was amended in 1957 to create one County Court in, and for, the State of Victoria.

The Children’s Court of Western Australia deals with offences alleged to have been committed by young people aged 10 to 17 years. The Court began as the Perth Children’s Court under the State Children’s Act 1907 and operated within the City of Perth. Following amendments to the Act, the Court was permitted to sit in the metropolitan area. With the passing of the Children’s Court of WA Act 1988, it became known as the Children’s Court of WA.

Established in 1992, the Children’s Court of Queensland (CCQ) deals with all juveniles who commit criminal offences while under the age of 17 years, unless the court orders that the matter be dealt with in an adult court. The CCQ is presided over by judges who have been appointed from the District Court. There is no jury. Matters are heard in accordance with the guidelines set down in the Children’s Court Act 1992 and the Youth Justice Act 1992. Matters involving children can, in addition, be heard in the Magistrates or Supreme Court.

Formerly known as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, the Australian Human Rights Commission is Australia’s national human rights watchdog. An independent statutory body which reports to the Parliament of Australia through the Attorney-General, it was established on 10 December 1986 and comprises: a president and seven commissioners; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner; Age Discrimination Commissioner; Children’s Commissioner; Disability Discrimination Commissioner; Human Rights Commissioner; Race Discrimination Commissioner and a Sex Discrimination Commissioner

The Administrative Review Council, a separate advisory body until 2015, when its functions were consolidated into the Attorney-General’s Department, is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the Australian system of administrative review. Established to provide advice to the Attorney-General on strategic and operational matters relating to that system, the Council first met on 15 November 1976. It currently comprises five ex officio members and two appointed members.

The Magistrates Court represents the first tier of the Queensland Courts system. It is the place where most criminal cases are first heard; it is also where most civil actions are heard. It deals with civil cases where the amount in dispute is $150,000 or less. Some minor family law matters are dealt with by the Court as too are matters covered by the Customs Act 1901, the Social Security Act 1991 and the Taxation Act 1953. The Court also hears the majority of domestic violence matters, and applications for child protection orders.

Founded in 1991(?) by the Hon. Justice Jane Mathews AO of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, the Australian Association of Women Judges (AAWJ) is the Australian member association of the Washington DC-based International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ), a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose members represent all levels of the judiciary worldwide and whose activities are centred round support for women in the judiciary, and access to justice. The current president of the AAWJ is Her Hon. Judge Robyn Tupman of the District Court of New South Wales.

The Magistrates’ Court is the busiest court in Victoria, with 53 different locations around Victoria and handling approximately 90% of all cases which come before Victorian courts each year. It covers the main areas of: Criminal Matters and Traffic Offences; Money Claims and Civil Disputes; Family Law; Family Violence and Intervention Orders; Fines and Penalties, including the Infringements Court; Specialist Court Jurisdictions, including the Drug Court and Koori Court.

The Australia women’s national rugby sevens team represents Australia at a national level. They were champions of the inaugural Women’s Sevens World Cup in 2009 and in 2016 they won the inaugural gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

The Australian Council for Women (ACW) was established in late 1993, replacing the National Women’s Consultative Council, to co-ordinate planning in Australia for the Fourth World Conference on Women to be held in Beijing in September 1995 and to consult with women and transmit their concerns and ideas to the government. Council members travelled widely in Australia, meeting women and consulting with community groups.

On International Women’s Day 1994 the ACW launched its Purple Postcard survey, asking women to list one concern, and sent questionnaires to non-government organisations. The major issues emerging from the survey were fear of violence, breast cancer, and the cost and availability of child care.

In February 1995, the ACW released its report listing strategies to tackle these issues of concern, to be included in Australia’s presentation to the UN Fourth World Conference. The ACW Chair, Sandra Yates, was a delegate to the Beijing conference and advisor to the Australian official delegation which was led by Dr Carmen Lawrence, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women and Minister for Health. The Council was disestablished on 31 December 1995.

The Gippsland Women’s Network (GWN) was incorporated in 2006. It had its beginnings in the 1970s-1980s during a time of rural recession, when farming women in the Gippsland area of Victoria began an active role in lobbying the Australian government for financial support, putting together proposals for ways to better market the products of their region. From those early days, the GWN has broadened its role to encompass a variety of activities aimed at raising the profile of women in the rural sector. This has included developing projects and running seminars and workshops aimed at fostering the establishment of community networks, and empowering rural women to take a more active role in creating a sustainable future for their communities.

The Women’s Caucus of the then Australasian Political Studies Association (APSA) was established in 1979. It was set up to improve the standing of women in the political science profession and to promote the study of women and politics. The annual general meeting of the Women’s Caucus is held during the annual conference of APSA. A representative serves on the APSA Executive. The caucus conducts regular reviews of the status of women in the profession and of the extent of the successful implementation of APSA’s policy that the study of women should be integrated into all politics courses.