Following extensive internal and external consultations, the Federal Court of Australia published the Litigants in Person Practice Note on 5 March 2026.
The Litigants in Person Practice Note is for all unrepresented litigants who have matters in the Federal Court and has been drafted in simple English to ensure its accessibility to a wide audience.
Arrangements are also being made for the Practice Note to be translated into commonly-spoken languages.
The Litigants in Person Practice Note provides information about avenues for legal assistance and emphasises the serious nature of a person’s responsibilities if they decide to proceed without a lawyer. It also provides guidance about the role of the Court, the role of legal representatives, and what litigants in person must, and must not do, if they decide to commence or defend a legal claim.
The Practice Note will be sent to every new litigant in person with a matter in the Federal Court, along with an acknowledgment form that new litigants in person will be asked to sign to confirm that they have read the Practice Note.
The Litigants in Person Practice Note was developed as part of the Court’s ongoing Litigants in Person & Pro Bono Project. More information about this project can be found here.
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