King and King

The Honourable Justice Cronin presided over a matter involving the parties King and King. The dispute concerned applications that were outstanding and required final hearing.

The court was required to determine the procedural steps necessary to bring the matter to a final hearing, including the filing of evidence, the precise nature of the orders sought by each party, and the timeline for these actions. The court also needed to address potential non-compliance with its directions and the consequences thereof.

Justice Cronin issued a series of detailed orders aimed at managing the case towards a final hearing. These orders stipulated specific dates for the filing of affidavits of evidence in chief by the applicant wife and the respondent husband, with a requirement that such affidavits be confined to the issues in dispute. The parties were also ordered to file documents precisely outlining the orders they sought. The Independent Children’s Lawyer was similarly directed to file affidavit material. The court also provided for liberty to approach the registrar to vary obligations and seek subpoenas, and outlined a protocol for dealing with non-compliance, including the possibility of the case being struck out or referred for directions. Furthermore, practitioners were required to file electronic submissions including a concise set of orders, a list of affidavits to be read, and a summary of argument. The court noted that the allocated place in the defended list was subject to change and all parties were to monitor the list's progress.