A 25.5 per cent increase in filings in general federal law and a 64 per cent increase in filings in the migration jurisdiction were experienced by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Divisions 1 and 2), according to the annual report.
The 2024-2025 annual report was tabled in the Federal Parliament this month and presented to Attorney-General Michelle Rowland.
Chief Justice William Alstergren AO, in his year in review, stated that as he reflected on the preceding 12 months, he was “struck by what has been achieved across the Courts”.
“Each year brings new challenges, but also new opportunities to refine, improve and excel,” he said.
The increase in filings in general federal law included the areas of fair work (1602), bankruptcy (1594), consumer protection (479), human rights (120), administrative law and intellectual property.
The Court also significantly improved the proportion of general federal law matters finalised within 12 months of filing from 78 per cent to 87 per cent.
“The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1) now has 35 Judges, and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) has 91 Judges, for a total of 126 Judges across the country,” the Chief Justice stated in his report.
“The financial year has seen the appointment of 25 new Judges across the Courts – 14 of whom were appointed specifically to support the growing migration and general federal law jurisdictions of the FCFCOA (Division 2).”
The FCFCOA (Division 2) increased the number of cases finalised in the migration jurisdiction, by 79 per cent or an additional 3000 migration matters.
“Whilst the work of the Court’s migration and general federal law Judges and Registrars is to be commended, the Court will be closely monitoring filing trends over the coming year to ensure the Court’s resources are adequately matched to any further increases in filings,” he said.
There were 18,266 migration applications pending with a clearance rate of 88 per cent, with 85 per cent of unrepresented applicants requiring an intepreter. More than 70 languages were requested.
The report shows the Courts maintained strong results across all areas of family law, with 93 per cent of judgements delivered within three months by Division 1 and 96 per cent delivered by Division 2.
The Courts received 101,092 family law applications, a three per cent increase on the previous year.
The divorce clearance rate was 100 per cent with 46,284 finalised and 16,617 consent order applications were finalised – a 99 per cent clearance rate.
The statutory review of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia Act 2021 was completed with positive findings recorded.
“The Courts actively engaged with the conduct of the Review to ensure that the reviewers had an appropriately fulsome picture of the outcomes of both the legislative reform, and the many Court-led internal initiatives the Courts implemented.
“We are delighted by the positive findings of the Reviewers about the Courts’ case management processes, innovations, responsiveness to the needs of litigants, expertise, unity and collegiality amongst the judiciary and the effective delivery of justice to the Australian public.”
In family law, the Courts’ case management approach and the use of registrars was described as a “game-changer”.
The Courts also launched a Reconciliation Action Plan for 2025-2027, reflecting the commitment to facilitating access to justice for First Nations people which included a Queensland event in 2024.
The Chief Justice said: “In August 2024, the Courts, supported by the Indigenous Family Liaison Officer team, hosted the inaugural First Nations Forum in Brisbane. This landmark gathering brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sector representatives and community leaders to share their perspectives, raise concerns, and guide us in strengthening the Courts’ support for First Nations families.
“The outcomes of the forum continue to inform our ongoing efforts to improve culturally responsive practices and ensure equitable access to justice.”
Work undertaken in rural and regional areas of Australia accounted for about 20 per cent of the Courts’ family law workload.
As of 30 June 2025, more than 28 per cent of the Registrars of the Courts were based in registries outside of the capital cities.
Other highlights included the expansion of the National Court Dog Program and Brisbane welcomed its first Court Dog Leo recently.
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