Annual Report 2008-09 Performance Reports - Outcome 1

Chapter 6 Outcome 1—An equitable and accessible system of federal civil justice

Chapter 6 Outcome 1

An equitable and accessible system of federal civil justice

Overview

In order to achieve Outcome 1, the Attorney-General’s Department provides a diverse range of legal services and policy advice.

The Department’s responsibilities cover courts and tribunals, alternative dispute resolution, administrative law, bankruptcy, classification, constitutional policy, human rights, evidence and procedure, family law and related services for separated families, legal assistance, international law, information law, Indigenous justice, native title and personal property securities law.

The Department provides specialist support for the Attorney-General as First Law Officer, promotes Australian legal services internationally, drafts and publishes legislative materials, and provides advice on international law.

In working to achieve this outcome, the Department is also responsible for administering payments for the provision of legal aid, family relationships services, Indigenous law and justice programs, community legal services and financial assistance towards legal costs and related expenses. The Department works in cooperation and consultation with many other organisations. These include government agencies (Commonwealth, State and Territory), advisory bodies, taskforces, professional associations and community interest groups.

During 2008–09, we made significant and substantial progress towards achieving Outcome 1, with developments being establishment of the Access to Justice Taskforce, introduction to Parliament of the Access to Justice (Civil Litigation Reforms) Amendment Bill 2009, implementation of new accreditation standards for family dispute resolution practitioners, reforms to evidence laws, introduction of an industry based assessor scheme for the classification of films, national consultation on human rights, same-sex reforms successfully passed through Parliament, reform to the native title system, and development of the National Indigenous Law and Justice Framework.

Performance reports for each output contributing to Outcome 1 are presented in this chapter.

Resource summary

Table 3: Resource summary, Outcome 1—An equitable and accessible system of federal civil justice

	Budget* 2008–09 $’000 (a)	Actual expenses 2008–09 $’000 (b)	Variation $’000 (a)–(b)
Output Group 1.1: Family law, federal courts and tribunals, civil procedure and alternative dispute resolution
Administered items
Family Relationship Services Program	162,684	161,634	1,050
Family Court of Western Australia	14,071	14,025	46
Payments for services under the Family Law Act 1975 and the Child Support Scheme legislation	2,031	2,003	28
Payments to Law Courts Limited for contributions to operating and capital expenses	39,954	39,954	–
Payments for membership of international bodies	664	667	–3
Payments for grants to Australian organisations	1,411	1,411	–
Judges’ Pensions Scheme—superannuation surcharge	257	–	257
Judges’ Pensions Act 1968	62,500	54,672	7,828
High Court Justices (Long Leave Payments) Act 1979	827	994	–167
Departmental Outputs	24,495	27,343	–2,848
Revenues from other sources (s 31)	229	781	–522
Subtotal for Output 1.1	309,123	303,484	5,639
Output Group 1.2: Support for the Attorney-General as First Law Officer, constitutional policy, personal insolvency and international legal services
Administered items
Equine Influenza Inquiry	134	–	134
Clarke Inquiry into the case of Dr Mohamed Haneef	2,187	2,045	142
Administration of the National Classification Scheme	274	249	25
Law Officers Act 1964—former Solicitors-General	450	450	–
Departmental Outputs	6,452	9,897	–3,445
Revenues from other sources (s 31)	392	60	332
Subtotal for Output 1.2	9,889	12,637	–2,812
Output Group 1.3: Classification, copyright and human rights
Administered items
National consultation into human rights and responsibilities	1,899	1,488	411
Departmental Outputs	15,822	16,331	–509
Revenues from other sources (s 31)	721	1,482	–761
Subtotal for Output 1.3	18,442	19,301	–859
Output Group 1.4: International law
Departmental Outputs	5,800	6,463	–663
Revenues from other sources (s 31)	194	243	–49
Subtotal for Output 1.4	5,994	6,706	–712
Output Group 1.5: Legislative instruments
Administered items
Publication of Acts and select legislative instruments	1,129	996	133
Departmental Outputs	10,048	8,710	1,338
Revenues from other sources (s 31)	3,119	2,281	298
Subtotal for Output 1.5	14,296	12,527	1,769
Output Group 1.6: Native title
Departmental Outputs	6,470	6,815	–345
Revenues from other sources (s 31)	4	56	–52
Subtotal for Output 1.6	6,474	6,871	–397
Output Group 1.7: Indigenous law and justice and legal assistance
Administered items
Payments for the provision of legal aid for Indigenous Australians	59,187	59,188	–1
Payments for the provision of law and justice advocacy services for Indigenous Australians	2,510	2,510	–
Payments for the provision of prevention, diversion, rehabilitation and restorative justice services for Indigenous Australians	26,147	26,146	1
Payments for the provision of family violence prevention legal services for Indigenous Australians	18,776	18,798	–22
Payments for Indigenous interpreter services in the Northern Territory	1,843	1,843	–
Payments for the provision of legal aid—Legal Aid Commissions	4,733	2,999	1,734
Payments for the provision of legal aid—States and Territories	118,532	118,452	80
Payments for the provision of community legal services	31,104	31,082	22
Financial assistance towards legal costs and related expenses	3,025	3,152	–127
Departmental Outputs	15,203	17,052	–1,849
Revenues from other sources (s 31)	30	202	–172
Subtotal for Output 1.7	281,090	281,424	–334
Output Group 1.8: Personal property securities
Administered items
Personal property securities—public awareness campaign	75	75	–
Departmental Outputs	10,142	8,969	1,173
Revenues from other sources (s 31)	142	112	30
Subtotal for 1.8	10,349	9,156	1,203
Total for Outcome 1	655,667	652,170	3,497
Departmental	99,263	107,337	–8,074
Administered	556,404	544,833	11,571

Average staffing level (number)		642

Notes:

* Full-year budget, including any subsequent adjustment made to the 2008–09 Budget

** Special Account receipts and payments are shown in Note 25 to the Financial Statements