You may have seen the Law Society’s Media release in respect of the closure of the Burnie Registry of the Federal Circuit and Family Court Registry for the North West. The news has concerned the Society and many members of our profession. It was disappointing that the Society was not consulted about the closure of the facilities for the ‘foreseeable future’. We have requested a meeting with the Court and will report back to members after that meeting. I thank those members of the profession that have reached out to me about the issue and invite other practitioners to contact the Society or myself with your concerns. I have since done a significant amount of media around the issue and I am aware the Director of Legal Aid, Kristen Wylie also has done significant media and I thank her and Tasmania Legal Aid for their support on this important issue.
The Society and Tasmanian Bar have formed a working group with the assistance of His Honour, Justice McElwaine, to establish a better understanding and encourage use of the Federal Court. If you have any issues you would like to discuss with the working group, please contact myself or Bar President Tom Cox. The Court will be hosting an informal lunch with the Honourable Chief Justice Mortimer on 30 June 2023 with local judges and Court staff at 1pm on that day on Level 2 adjacent to Court 1. Details of that lunch are included in the update and I encourage you all to attend regardless of your area of practice. It is important that we promote the need for a resident Federal Court Judge in Tasmania, keep work in Tasmania and show the strength of the Tasmanian profession.