Westcott and Hanley

The proceedings involved Westcott and Hanley, with the dispute concerning parenting orders. The matter came before Judge Harman.

The court was required to determine whether to transfer the proceedings to the Family Court of Australia. It also needed to consider the extant interim and interlocutory applications, including an application in a case by the mother and an application for contravention by the father, as well as the expeditious progression of the matter towards a final hearing.

Judge Harman reasoned that a transfer to the Family Court was appropriate. The court noted that the children were not presently spending time or practicing a relationship with their father in accordance with existing orders, or at all. Accordingly, the court considered it warranted that the application in a case seeking suspension of existing parenting orders, the application for contravention, and other related matters be addressed expeditiously.

The court ordered the transfer of the proceedings to the Family Court of Australia and requested that a Registrar of that court give attention to the matter as expeditiously as possible to guide it towards hearing all extant interim and interlocutory applications and moving the matter toward final hearing.