State Central Authority and Brume

The proceedings before Brown J concerned an application by the State Central Authority and Mr F, who sought to intervene in or be joined as a party to existing proceedings concerning the child J. The dispute centred on the privileged nature of a mediation agreement and the representation of the child's interests in related parenting proceedings.

The court was required to determine whether the mediation conducted pursuant to an agreement made on 17 March 2010 should be privileged and attended by the parties and the requesting parent. Furthermore, the court needed to consider the independent representation of the child J's interests in future parenting proceedings and the procedural steps necessary to facilitate these.

Brown J ordered that the mediation be privileged and attended by the parties and the requesting parent. The court also abridged time to enable the filing of proceedings naming Mr F as applicant and Ms Brume as respondent, seeking interim and final parenting orders for J. Crucially, pursuant to s 68L(2) of the *Family Law Act 1975*, the court ordered that the interests of child J be independently represented by a lawyer, requesting Victoria Legal Aid to arrange this. Directions were given for the independent children's lawyer to file a Notice of Address for Service and for parties' solicitors to provide relevant documents. The court also noted that the matter reasonably required the attendance of counsel and that any application by Mr F to intervene or be joined would be filed by 15 April 2010.