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Adult Child Maintenance: Special Needs Children (section 66L)
Howard J of the Brisbane Registry of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia considered the plight of “X” who was born in 1992 and suffers from significant disabilities, such that he requires 24 hour care. This young adult is unable to function on his own or without a...
Alleged Lovers Contesting The Estate Against The Children
An article in The Courier-Mail highlights an increasing trend in estate litigation where alleged lovers of a deceased make claims against the estate for provision. The article suggests the need for adult children hiring their own investigators in an attempt to fight...
Criminal Laws (Part 2): Idealism With Dangerous Implications
Balancing between freedoms, rights and safety for all people is the dilemma encountered in any good government. Sometimes though, there are instances that shock people and sometimes cause a government to react quickly in the belief that they know what is best to...
Criminal Laws (Part 1): A Loss Of Everyone’s Rights
The Queensland State Government has passed the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act 2013 (“the Act“) which has the potential to have far reaching consequences on every individual and group, not just bikies. Under the Act harsh penalties are applied to any...
Federal Circuit Court: When Did Separation Occur?
The Federal Circuit Court (“FCC”) deals with a variety of family law issues.This article focusses on the situation where the FCC had reason to consider the circumstances of separation, the date of separation and how they both related to property settlement. At time of...
Government To Name & Shame Young Offenders: Is This Really The Best Approach?
Queensland Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie announced new laws to be introduced into Parliament as early as next year, allowing child offenders aged 10 to 16 to be given one chance before being named and shamed. David Murray of The Courier-Mail mentions in his article...
Gender Dysphoria: At What Stage Can Parents & Children Consent To Irreversible Processes?
In a short period of time the Family Court of Australia had a number of “special medical procedure” applications to consider.They concerned a condition known as gender dysphoria – where a child is born as one sex but assimilates identities and associates as being of...
Is Religion Or Faith Above The Law In Family Law Proceedings? What Is A Court To Do?
On 27 August 2013, Judge Burchardt sitting in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, Melbourne, handed down judgment following an extraordinary situation where a litigant in person refused to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the court or to answer questions from the...
G20 Safety & Security Bill: Are Rights & Freedoms Being Silenced?
The G20 (Safety and Security) Bill 2013 is before the State Parliament. Josh Bavas from ABC News wrote in his article how anyone deemed a ‘threat’ can be detained without bail for at least the week of the summit. Also contained within the bill are powers for police...