Bale-Sutch and Bale-Sutch (No. 3)

In proceedings before Justice Cronin, the parties, identified as Bale-Sutch and Bale-Sutch, were engaged in a dispute concerning family law matters. The specific nature of the dispute is not detailed, but the orders indicate a context involving children and potential risks of child abuse.

The court was required to determine a range of procedural and substantive issues to manage the ongoing litigation. These included the suspension of certain prior orders, the adjournment of outstanding applications for a final hearing, and the separate representation of the children. The court also considered the intervention of the Director-General of the Department of Human Services for the State of Victoria and the filing of notices regarding the risk of child abuse.

Justice Cronin made several orders to facilitate the progression of the case. These included suspending specific paragraphs of previous orders, adjourning applications for a future hearing, and directing the wife's legal practitioner to provide photographs to the husband. Crucially, the court requested the intervention of the Director-General of the Department of Human Services and ordered separate representation for the children, S and R, by Victoria Legal Aid, with a preference for the reappointment of the previous Independent Children’s Lawyer. Further orders addressed the provision of documents to the Independent Children’s Lawyer, the filing of any Notice of Risk of Child Abuse, the issuance of subpoenas, and the referral of the file to a Registrar for case management and preparation for trial.