Goel and Darsha

In the matter of Goel and Darsha, Judge McGuire of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia made orders concerning the parental responsibility and living arrangements for a child, X. The dispute involved the parents' differing views on X's upbringing and future, particularly regarding international travel and the extent of each parent's involvement in X's education and medical care.

The court was required to determine the primary caregiver for X, the extent of each parent's parental responsibility, and the specific arrangements for X's time with each parent. Crucially, the court also had to address the risk of X being removed from Australia and establish measures to prevent this, while also considering the father's right to be informed about and involved in X's schooling and medical treatment.

Judge McGuire ordered that the mother have sole parental responsibility for X, with the significant caveat that she could not obtain an Australian passport for X or remove X from Australia without the father's consent or a court order. The father was to be kept informed of X's educational and medical decisions and afforded usual parental access to schools and medical practitioners. The court also made detailed orders regarding X's time with the father, which were to progressively increase over time, and mandated that X's name be placed on the Australian Federal Police Watch List until September 2028 to prevent international travel. Furthermore, the mother was ordered to apply for X's passport, which was then to be lodged with the court registry, with neither parent permitted to remove it without consent or a court order.