"When Backbone released its first Watchdog report ‘All Eyes on the Family Court’ in April 2017, we outlined issues that women had told Backbone they experienced in the Family Court including that the Family Court was closed and secretive, lacked accountability and transparency and the complaints systems did not work. Principal Family Court Judge - Laurence Ryan and Minister for Justice and Courts – Amy Adams, publicly
responded stating that Backbone was incorrect to suggest the Family Court is closed, and unaccountable. They said that women had access to ways to review the Family Court proceedings via appeal and the Judicial Conduct Commissioner if they were not happy. Having now examined the appeal process and the multiple complaints mechanisms available (or not), Backbone is as convinced as ever that the Family Court is a law unto itself – it is closed, secretive and unaccountable and the complaints processes available are ineffective. Our overall findings in this report show that there is no independent authority tasked with monitoring and overseeing the Family Court and reviewing/regulating its outcomes."(From the Executive summary). Record #5580