Australia is set to see fewer disputes resolved in court thanks to a suite of reforms made to the federal legal system according to Attorney-General Robert McClelland.  

 

Mr McClelland said the reforms commencing today as part of the Civil Dispute Resolution Act 2011 will fundamentally change the way people resolve issues in the federal courts.

 

“Australia’s legal system is changing - we are moving away from an adversarial culture of litigation to a resolution-based approach to disputes,” Mr McClelland said.

 

“Under the new requirements from today, litigants to matters in the Federal Court of Australia and the Federal Magistrates Court must file a statement setting out the genuine steps they took to resolve their dispute and, if they took none, to explain why.

 

“The reality is that the cost of court proceedings puts litigation out of the reach of many people.

“These changes will increase access to justice for the community by encouraging realistic – and less costly - alternatives to litigation.

 

More information on the Civil Dispute Resolution Act 2011 can be downloaded here