FAMILY LAW REFORM ACT 1995 No. 167 of 1995 - SECT 25 Insertion of new Division

FAMILY LAW REFORM ACT 1995 No. 167 of 1995 - SECT 25

25. Before Part IV of the Principal Act the following Division is inserted:

"Division 6 - Miscellaneous Admissions made to counsellors, mediators etc.

"19N.(1) This section applies to:

   (a)  a family and child counsellor; or

   (b)  a court mediator; or

   (c)  subject to the regulations, a community mediator or a private
        mediator; or

   (d)  a person nominated, or acting on behalf of an organisation nominated,
        for the purposes of paragraph 14C(3)(b) or subparagraph 44(1B)(a)(ii);
        or

   (e)  a person to whom a party to a marriage has been referred, for medical
        or other professional consultation, by a person referred to in
        paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d).

"(2) Evidence of anything said, or any admission made, at a meeting or
conference conducted by a person to whom this section applies while the person
is acting as such a person is not admissible:

   (a)  in any court (whether exercising federal jurisdiction or not); or

   (b)  in any proceedings before a person authorised by a law of the
        Commonwealth or of a State or Territory, or by the consent of the
        parties, to hear evidence.

Regulations to be complied with by community mediators and private mediators

"19P.(1) The regulations may prescribe requirements to be complied with by
community mediators and private mediators in relation to the family and child
mediation services they provide.

"(2) The regulations may prescribe penalties not exceeding 10 penalty units in
respect of offences against regulations made for the purposes of subsection
(1).

Advertising in Family Court registries of counselling, mediation and
arbitration services

"19Q.(1) Subject to the regulations (if any), a family and child counsellor,
or an approved counselling organisation, may advertise, at a Registry of the
Family Court, the counselling services the counsellor or organisation
provides.

"(2) Subject to the regulations (if any), a family and child mediator, or an
approved mediation organisation, may advertise, at a Registry of the Family
Court, the mediation services the mediator or organisation provides.

"(3) Subject to the regulations (if any), an approved arbitrator may
advertise, at a Registry of the Family Court, the arbitration services the
arbitrator provides.".