Pritchard and Johnston

This matter concerned an application by the Mother for a stay of certain orders made on 12 October 2011, and for new orders regarding her supervised time with the child, X. The court also considered injunctions against the Mother and conditions for her undertaking psychiatric assessment and treatment. The proceedings were before Judge Scarlett.

The legal issues before the court included whether to grant a stay of previous orders, the specific terms of supervised time between the Mother and the child, whether to grant injunctions restraining the Mother from attending the child's school or following the child, and the conditions to be imposed on the Mother regarding psychiatric assessment and reporting. The court was also required to determine the independent representation of the child and the process for a child dispute conference.

The court reasoned that the Mother's supervised time with the child should be structured to ensure the child's safety and well-being, specifying times during school terms, school holidays, and particular occasions like Mother's Day and Christmas. Injunctions were granted to prevent the Mother from attending the child's school and following the child, reflecting concerns about her conduct. Crucially, the Mother was ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment, provide relevant medical records and previous court judgments to the psychiatrist, and comply with treatment recommendations. The psychiatrist was to report on her ability to care for the child and any risk posed. The court also ordered independent legal representation for the child and a child dispute conference.

The court made orders staying certain previous orders, establishing a detailed schedule for the Mother's supervised time with the child, granting injunctions against the Mother, and imposing conditions on her psychiatric assessment and treatment. The court also ordered independent representation for the child and a child dispute conference.