Director-General, Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services and Karp (No. 3)

The Director-General of the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services and Ms Karp, the respondent mother, were parties to proceedings before Kent J in the Family Court of Australia. The dispute concerned the continued inclusion of Ms Karp and her son, V, on the Family Law Watchlist and the retention of their passports by the Department.

The court was required to determine whether the existing orders, which had placed Ms Karp and V on the Family Law Watchlist and authorised the retention of their passports, should be discharged. This involved considering the circumstances that necessitated the initial orders and whether those circumstances had sufficiently changed to warrant their removal.

By consent of the parties, Kent J ordered the discharge of the previous order dated 5 December 2014. The Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police and all Federal Agents were directed to remove the names of Ms Karp and V from the Family Law Watchlist. Furthermore, Ms A, representing the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services, or her nominee, was ordered to forthwith release all current passports belonging to Ms Karp and V to Ms Karp or her nominee.