EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Commonwealth of Australia
Family Law Act 1975
Family Law Regulations (Amendment) No. 294
Section 125 of the Family Law Act 1975 (the Act) empowers the Governor-General to make regulations for the purposes of the Act.
Section 112AD of the Act provides in part that where a Court is satisfied that a person has, without reasonable excuse, contravened an order made under the Act, the Court may make an order directing the person to serve periods of community service.
Subsection 112AG(2) of the Act provides that the total number of hours of community service should not exceed the maximum period in relation to the State or Territory in which the order is made. The maximum period is defined in subsection 112AG(6) as 500 hours or such lesser period as is prescribed in relation to a State or Territory.
All States, Territories and the Commonwealth have agreed that the maximum period of community service is to be fixed at 200 hours.
The regulations give effect to the agreement by amending the Family Law Regulations by adding a new regulation 18A which prescribes the maximum period of 200 hours for each State and Territory.
Attorney-Genera1