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Bill homepage (legislation.vic.gov.au)The purpose of this Act is to provide that certain decisions of the Federal Court of Australia or the Family Court of Australia have effect for certain purposes as decisions of the Supreme Court and to make other provision relating to the jurisdiction of those courts.
This Act comes into operation on the day after the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.
In this Act—
applied administrative law means a law of the State applying a Commonwealth administrative law as a law of the State;
S. 3 def. of Common-wealth administrative law amended by No. 41/2025 s. 3(Sch. 1 item 18).
Commonwealth administrative law means—
any of the following Acts of the Commonwealth—
Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024;
Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977;
Freedom of Information Act 1982;
Ombudsman Act 1976;
Privacy Act 1988; or
any of the regulations in force under any of those Acts;
federal court means the Federal Court of Australia or the Family Court of Australia;
ineffective judgment has the meaning given by section 4;
judgment means a judgment, decree or order, whether final or interlocutory, or a sentence;
liability includes a duty or obligation;
proceeding includes an initiating application;
S. 3 def. of relevant State Act amended by Nos 30/2008 s. 44, 36/2013 s. 82.
relevant State Act means any of the following Acts—
Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Victoria) Act 1994;
Competition Policy Reform (Victoria) Act 1995;
Corporations (Victoria) Act 1990;
* * * * *
Jurisdiction of Courts (Cross-vesting) Act 1987;
Marine (Domestic Commercial Vessel National Law Application) Act 2013;
National Crime Authority (State Provisions) Act 1984;
New Tax System Price Exploitation Code (Victoria) Act 1999;
a prescribed Act;
right includes an interest or status;
State matter means a matter—
in which the Supreme Court has jurisdiction otherwise than by reason of a law of the Commonwealth or of another State or a Territory; or
which has been removed to the Supreme Court under section 8 of the Jurisdiction of Courts (Cross-vesting) Act 1987; or
in respect of which a relevant State Act purports or purported to confer jurisdiction on a federal court; or
arising under or in respect of an applied administrative law.
A reference in this Act to an "ineffective judgment" is a reference to a judgment of a federal court in a State matter given or recorded, before the commencement of this section, in the purported exercise of jurisdiction purporting to have been conferred on the federal court by a relevant State Act.
If—
a Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia in its appellate jurisdiction has purported to affirm, reverse or vary an ineffective judgment; or
a Full Court of the Family Court of Australia has purported to affirm, reverse or vary an ineffective judgment—
a reference in this Act to the ineffective judgment is a reference to the ineffective judgment in the form in which, and to the extent to which, it purports or purported to have effect from time to time.
This Act binds the Crown in right of the State of Victoria and, to the extent to which the power of the Parliament permits, the Crown in all its other capacities.
Part 2—Rights and liabilities
The rights and liabilities of all persons are, by force of this Act, declared to be, and always to have been, the same as if—
each ineffective judgment of—
the Federal Court of Australia, otherwise than as a Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia; or
the Family Court of Australia, otherwise than as a Full Court of the Family Court of Australia—
had been a valid judgment of the Supreme Court or, in the case of an ineffective judgment given or recorded on or after 7 June 1995, of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court; and
each ineffective judgment of—
a Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia; or
a Full Court of the Family Court of Australia—
had been a valid judgment of the Full Court of the Supreme Court or, in the case of an ineffective judgment given or recorded on or after 7 June 1995, of the Court of Appeal.
A right or liability conferred, imposed or affected by section 6—
is exercisable or enforceable; and
is to be regarded as always having been exercisable or enforceable—
as if it were a right or liability conferred, imposed or affected by a valid judgment of the Supreme Court.
Without limiting section 6 or subsection (1) of this section, the rights and liabilities conferred, imposed or affected by section 6 include the right of a person who was a party to the proceeding or purported proceeding in which the ineffective judgment was given or recorded to appeal against that judgment.
For the purposes of subsection (2), each ineffective judgment of—
the Federal Court of Australia, otherwise than as a Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia; or
the Family Court of Australia, otherwise than as a Full Court of the Family Court of Australia—
is deemed to be a valid judgment of the Trial Division of the Supreme Court.
Any act or thing done or omitted to be done before or after the commencement of this section under or in relation to a right or liability conferred, imposed or affected by section 6—
has the same effect, and gives rise to the same consequences, for the purposes of any written or other law; and
is to be regarded as always having had the same effect, and given rise to the same consequences, for the purposes of any written or other law—
as if it were done, or omitted to be done, to give effect to, or under the authority of, or in reliance on, a valid judgment of the Supreme Court.
For the purposes of an enforcement law, any act or thing done or omitted to be done before or after the commencement of this section gives rise to the same consequences, and is to be regarded as always having given rise to the same consequences, as if each ineffective judgment were a valid judgment of the Supreme Court given in or in relation to the proceeding in or in relation to which the ineffective judgment was given or recorded.
In this section—
enforcement law means a provision of a law (other than a law relating to contempt of court) that sets out a consequence for a person if the person—
contravenes; or
acts in a specified way while there is in force—
a judgment, or a particular kind of judgment, given by a court.
If—
before the commencement of this section, a court gave or recorded an ineffective judgment ("the new judgment") on the basis that an earlier ineffective judgment ("the earlier judgment") was or might be of no effect; and
the new judgment replaced the earlier judgment—
section 6 has no effect in respect of the earlier judgment.
For the purposes of subsection (1)(b), the new judgment replaced the earlier judgment if the new judgment—
purportedly conferred or imposed rights or liabilities similar to or different from those purportedly conferred or imposed by the earlier judgment; or
purportedly affected rights or liabilities in a way similar to or different from the way in which they were purportedly affected by the earlier judgment.
The Supreme Court may vary, revoke, set aside, revive or suspend a right or liability conferred, imposed or affected by section 6 as if it were a right or liability validly conferred, imposed or affected by the Supreme Court in or in relation to proceedings of the kind in or in relation to which the ineffective judgment was given or recorded.
In addition to its powers under subsection (1), the Supreme Court also has power to give a judgment achieving any other result that could have been achieved if—
the ineffective judgment had been a valid judgment of the Supreme Court given in or in relation to proceedings of the kind in or in relation to which the ineffective judgment was given or recorded; and
the Supreme Court had been considering whether—
to vary, revoke, set aside, revive or suspend that judgment; or
to extend the time for the doing of any thing; or
to grant a stay of proceedings.
In this section—
limitation law means—
the Limitation of Actions Act 1958;
any other law that provides for the limitation or exclusion of liability or the barring of a right of action in respect of a claim by reference to the time when a proceeding on, or the arbitration of, the claim is commenced;
relevant order means—
an order of a federal court, whether made before or after the commencement of this section, dismissing, striking out or staying a proceeding relating to a State matter for want of jurisdiction; or
a declaration by a federal court, whether made before or after the commencement of this section, that it has no jurisdiction to hear and determine a proceeding relating to a State matter; or
any other decision or determination by a federal court, whether made before or after the commencement of this section, that it has no jurisdiction to hear and determine a proceeding relating to a State matter.
A person who was a party to a proceeding in which a relevant order is made may apply to the Supreme Court for an order that the proceeding be treated as a proceeding in the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court may make such an order.
If the Supreme Court makes an order under subsection (2), the proceeding, despite the relevant order—
becomes, and must be recorded by the Supreme Court as, a proceeding in the Supreme Court; and
for the purposes of any limitation law and for all other purposes, is deemed to have been brought in the Supreme Court on the day on which the proceeding was first recorded as a proceeding in the federal court.
The Supreme Court may make such ancillary orders in relation to an order under subsection (2) as it considers necessary for the purposes of the proceeding being treated as, becoming and being recorded as, a proceeding in the Supreme Court.
If, before or after the commencement of this section, a person has—
interfered with a right conferred or affected by section 6; or
failed to satisfy or comply with a liability imposed or affected by section 6—
the interference or failure is, and is deemed always to have been, a matter that can be dealt with in the same manner as if the interference or failure had been in relation to a right conferred or affected, or a liability imposed or affected, by an order of the Supreme Court.
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