Attorney-General Robert McClelland today welcomed the passage through Parliament of the Family Law Amendment (Validation of Certain Parenting Orders) Bill – the latest Bill to be passed in the Attorney-General’s portfolio.
Mr McClelland said today’s Bill was in addition to Parliament yesterday passing amendments to the Service and Execution of Process Act that will enable fairer enforcement of court-imposed fines across jurisdictions.
“Under the previous scheme, a court-imposed fine had to be enforced in another state or territory using warrants to arrest and imprison fine defaulters,” he said.
“Under the changes passed today, States and Territories will no longer be able to enforce interstate fines by imprisoning fine defaulters.”
The new legislation will allow States and Territories to enforce court-imposed fines as ‘interstate’ fines, essentially treating them as a locally imposed fine, using less punitive measures.
“The arrest and imprisonment of interstate fine defaulters will no longer be available, not even as a measure of last resort,” Mr McClelland said.
Mr McClelland said the Government had a busy legislative agenda in the last sitting period, with a number of important bills in the Attorney-General’s portfolio passing through Parliament.
The Attorney-General has introduced and passed the following pieces of legislation this session:
- National Security Legislation Amendment Bill;
- Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Bill;
- Native Title Amendment Bill (No. 1);
- Service and Execution of Process Amendment (Interstate Fine Enforcement) Bill; and
- Family Law Amendment (Validation of Certain Parenting Orders) Bill
Media Contact: Ryan Liddell 0427 225 763
