Harshani and Darnith

In the matter of *Harshani and Darnith*, Justice Stevenson of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia considered a dispute concerning alleged contraventions of parenting orders. The father had filed an application alleging the mother had contravened Order 2 made on 9 October 2015. Conversely, the mother had also alleged the father had contravened Order 14 made on 30 April 2012.

The court was required to determine whether the father had proven, on the balance of probabilities, that the mother had contravened Order 2. It also had to determine whether the mother had proven, on the balance of probabilities, that the father had contravened Order 14.

Justice Stevenson dismissed the father's application, finding that he had not discharged the onus of proving the mother's contravention of Order 2. However, the court found that the mother had contravened Order 14. In exercising its discretion, the court determined that no penalty would be imposed upon the mother for this contravention.