Watson and Harding

In the matter of Watson and Harding, Dessau J of the Family Court of Australia considered parenting arrangements for the child M. The dispute concerned the terms of contact between the child and the Mother, and the Father's parental responsibility.

The court was required to determine the extent of the Father's sole parental responsibility, the specific arrangements for the child M to live with the Father, and the nature and conditions of the Mother's time with M. Further issues included the discharge of prior orders, the provision of an Australian passport for the child, and the reporting obligations of the Mother and her treating professionals.

The court made orders by consent regarding the Father's sole parental responsibility and the child living with the Father. The Mother's time with M was to be supervised, initially by a professional supervisor arranged and paid for by the Father, and subsequently at a children's contact centre nominated by the Mother. Specific provisions were made for the implementation of these arrangements, including nomination of contact centres and supervisors, and attendance at intake interviews. The Mother was also required to provide an irrevocable authority for her treating professionals to discuss her mental health with the Independent Children's Lawyer (ICL) and to provide reports on her compliance with treatment. The court also ordered the preparation of updated family and supervisor reports, and a Roundtable Dispute Management conference to discuss future arrangements.

Crucially, the court ordered, not by consent, that the Father be authorised to obtain an Australian passport for the child M independently of the Mother's consent. All prior parenting orders, including any airport watch list order, were discharged. The ICL was to be discharged after 12 months. The court also detailed the consequences of contravening the orders in Annexure A.