Senior Judicial Registrar (FCFCOA)

Court: Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA)

Employment type: Ongoing or Non-ongoing, Full-time and part-time positions available.

Location: Various locations including Adelaide, Albury, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Dandenong, Darwin, Dubbo, Hobart, Launceston, Lismore, Melbourne, Newcastle, Parramatta, Rockhampton, Sydney, Townsville, Wollongong.

Salary: Salary is negotiable based on skills and experience, plus 15.4% superannuation on top of base salary.

Position Overview

The Courts are seeking highly capable candidates who are enthusiastic, driven and motivated to assist in achieving the Courts’ objectives and perform the key functions of a Senior Judicial Registrar role (or potentially the position of a blended Senior Judicial Registrar and Judicial Registrar role).

Senior Judicial Registrars exercising the judicial power of the Commonwealth pursuant to delegations, are responsible to the Chief Justice of the FCFCOA (Division 1)/Chief Judge of the FCFCOA (Division 2) (‘Chief Justice’) and the Chief Executive Officer and Principal Registrar (‘CEO/PR’) of the Courts. They will work closely with the CEO/PR in administering relevant family law legislation. They will support the CEO/PR through a key leadership role in exercising their powers, including hearing and determining defended interim hearings, interlocutory disputes, conducting complex conciliations and mediations and case management and contributing to national support arrangements for judges and registrars. 

Senior Judicial Registrars will play a key role in implementing and achieving the intended aims of the Courts’ reforms and in delivering a range of important initiatives required by Government. They will also contribute to various Court Committees and registrar training and development and may also be considered for other leadership roles within the Courts. 

Senior Judicial Registrars hold important positions in the Courts and assist the Courts to:

• enhance the ability of the Courts to respond to family violence and other risks to vulnerable parties and children, 
• enhance culturally responsive support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,
• alleviate substantial workload pressures on judges and make the Courts’ processes as efficient as possible, and
• underpin the continuing implementation of fundamental structural family law reform and key initiatives.

There is now a clear career pathway, taking into account operational needs, for highly capable people who join the Courts as a Family Law Registrar, and who demonstrate the necessary skills, leadership and experience for an appropriate period of time, to progress through the relevant levels of Registrar roles. For Senior Judicial Registrars there is ultimately the possibility to be considered by Government for a Judicial appointment.

Key responsibilities and duties of the position

• Performing the delegated judicial functions at a high level, exercising delegated judicial power in family law matters in the FCFCOA (Division 1) and the FCFCOA (Division 2) pursuant to sections 98 and 254 of the FCFCOA Act, respectively and other legislative instruments;
• Carrying out delegated judicial functions locally and nationally by way of: presiding over Court hearings, carrying out high level and complex case management support for judges and conducting various forms of high level and complex ADR in both property and parenting matters;
• Providing professional leadership to Judicial Registrars, including assisting to promote the professional development, mentoring and training of Judicial Registrars;
• Assisting the Courts with national operational matters in support of the Chief Justice and the CEO/PR, as may be required; and
• Liaising with relevant community, government and professional stakeholders. 

Contact Officer

For more information, confidential enquiries can be made to Senior Judicial Registrar Anne-Marie Rice, Executive Director – National Registrar Practice and Operations at ***************@fcfcoa.gov.au.

Recruitment Process

To apply, please complete the application form on the Court’s careers portal. If you have any issues with applying, please email p&*@fedcourt.gov.au. To be considered you will need to upload a concise expression of interest (2 page maximum) detailing how your experience and skills relate to the position description and selection criteria and attach a current resume. 

Further information regarding this position, including mandatory qualifications and selection criteria, can be found in the position description available on the Courts careers page.