FCFCOA chief justice highlights Australia's family violence court programs at international event

• creative and comprehensive initiatives and structural, legal, and cultural innovations to respond to Australia’s problem of family violence 
• advancements in managing family violence in family law proceedings 
• challenges relating to technology-facilitated abuse and social media’s effects on adults and children alike 

Alstergren offered examples of the efforts of the country’s courts to deal with complex modern matters involving cryptocurrency, online gambling, property disputes, family pet ownership, and the question of whether threats to animals were part of family violence or coercive control. 

“Growth and innovation are essential components of our processes because family law, more than any other area, directly reflects the everyday concerns of people in every country and community,” the chief justice said. 

According to the media release, Alstergren shared the courts’ following programs and initiatives seeking to improve the protection of vulnerable litigants and the relevant legal processes: 

• ‘Family Violence: It's Just Not On’ campaign 
• the Lighthouse system 
• information sharing and co-location processes 
• the priority property pool (PPP) small claims list 
• Indigenous family liaison officers (IFLOs) and the special Indigenous list 
• ‘Safe and Together’ training and education 
• the court dog program 

Other contributions

FCFCOA’s media release noted that the following Australian judges and family law authorities were also slated to share insights and participate in the event: 

• Justice Suzanne Christie chaired a panel on child marriage, addressed judicial decision-making in this context, and discussed the 1980 Hague Abduction Convention 
• Judge Kylie Beckhouse, senior judicial registrar Anne-Marie Rice, and executive director of court children's services Janet Carmichael spoke on the panel called “Balancing Risk and Resolution – How a Court's Approach to Family Violence Informs Systemic Change,” which highlighted the Lighthouse, child impact reports, and the application of the ‘Safe and Together’ framework 
• Rice also chaired a panel on using artificial intelligence in dispute resolution 
• Carmichael likewise chaired a session on dispute resolution practices 
• Justice Jillian Williams chaired a session on child refugees and participated in a panel discussion on abduction convention return applications in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand 
• Judge Amanda Mansini chaired a session on family violence’s impacts 

The World Congress ran from 27–30 July 2025. Diana Bryan, former chief justice of the Family Court of Australia, chaired the event, which sought to unite people and organisations worldwide with influence on legal and justice systems and help improve, advance, and safeguard the human rights of children and youth.