DENT & LITTLE

This matter concerned parenting orders made by Justice Forrest in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. The proceedings involved the father and mother of a child, B, born in 2008, and addressed the arrangements for the child's care and contact with each parent.

The court was required to determine the terms of parenting orders, including the allocation of parental responsibility, the child's living arrangements, and the specific times the child would spend with each parent. Further issues before the court included the method of collection and return of the child for contact, the supervision of contact, communication between the child and the non-resident parent, and restrictions on discussing the proceedings or allegations of sexual abuse with the child. The court also needed to make orders regarding the child's interview or medical examination in relation to alleged sexual abuse and the physical discipline of the child.

Justice Forrest discharged previous parenting orders and made new orders establishing equal shared parental responsibility for the child, B. The child was ordered to live with the mother, with specific provisions for the child to spend time with the father. These provisions included detailed arrangements for alternate weekdays and weekends, as well as specific holidays and public holidays. The orders stipulated that the father and/or paternal grandparents were to collect the child from school and that contact would be supervised by one or both paternal grandparents. Crucially, both parents were restrained from discussing the proceedings or allegations of sexual abuse with the child, and neither parent could take the child for interviews or medical examinations concerning alleged sexual abuse without the consent of the Independent Children's Lawyer or a court order. The court also ordered that neither parent was to physically discipline the child. The matter was listed for mention to review the progress of a police investigation and for further directions.