Burmingham & Cod

In *Burmingham & Cod*, Strickland J of the Family Court of Australia considered a dispute concerning a family assessment report and an injunction. The father had been convicted of murder and was awaiting the outcome of an application for leave to appeal his sentence. The central issue was whether the writer of the family assessment report should include observations regarding the interaction between the father and the child.

The court was required to determine whether the family assessment report should address the observed interaction between the father and the child, given the father's recent murder conviction and pending appeal. Additionally, the court considered an application for an injunction to restrain the parties from providing a copy of any documents produced to any other person.

Strickland J reasoned that the family assessment report should indeed include observations of the interaction between the father and the child, as this was relevant to the child's best interests. The court acknowledged the gravity of the father's conviction but determined that the report's purpose was to provide a comprehensive picture for the court's consideration. Regarding the injunction, the court considered the need for confidentiality and the potential for misuse of sensitive family information.

The court made orders regarding the content of the family assessment report and the scope of the injunction.