Forty-two registrars are being added to the ranks of the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia - the news coming as the courts prepare to merge on September 1.
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Two of the new registrars will start work in Newcastle on Monday, while another will begin on September 13.
It means the number of registrars in the Federal Court at Newcastle will have jumped from two to seven in the 12 months to mid September.
There has been vocal criticism this week over the failure, so far, to replace a judge who retired earlier this month and fears a judge shortage combined with the courts' amalgamation will cause major delays in the justice system.
A statement from the courts issued this week said the registrars would take on enhanced roles from early in proceedings in order to allow judges more time for hearings and determinations.
The Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and Chief Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia, the Hon Will Alstergren, said the appointments would help reduce delays, identify risk early and improve access for people in regional areas.
"The new registrars are all family law specialists with significant skill and experience," he said.
"The appointments include senior and highly respected members of the profession including barristers, special counsel, senior solicitors, and a magistrate, and many who are also accredited mediators.
"The depth of skill and experience of this cohort of family law practitioners demonstrates support for our family law court system, and a sense of energy and momentum amongst the profession who wish to contribute and make a significant difference in how we deal with family law disputes in Australia.
"We are confident of ongoing funding and the appointment of judges to fill current vacancies, and newly created judicial positions, and we will continue to discuss with government the importance of further resources to support family violence-related and other key initiatives to further improve the court system."
The Newcastle Herald reported this week that there have been concerns about possible delays in Newcastle, where the court is awaiting a replacement for Judge Janet Terry, leaving only two judges.
Judge Terry retired at the mandatory age of 70 earlier this month.
Rob Dilley, the head of relationship law at Catherine Henry Lawyers in Newcastle, said on Thursday he welcomed the decision to employ more registrars, but he said it was not the main solution to avoiding delays and finalising family law matters.
He said a lack of judges was the "root of the problem".
Mr Dilley said the employment of more registrars was an example of the government spending money on gatekeepers rather than decision-makers.
"Registrars decide whether matters proceed to trial but they don't make the determinations which finalise matters," he said.
"The government appears to want to block access for litigants rather than employ the decision-makers who are needed for the many people who wait for determinations for an unacceptably long time."
The Attorney General's Department said in a statement to the Newcastle Herald earlier this week that announcements regarding judicial appointments would be made as soon as possible.
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