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Law Internet Resources

Family Law

This guide contains links to Internet resources and documents in the area of federal family law, as well as providing links to other guides and directories which contain material on State and Territory and overseas law.

Legislation

Court and Tribunal decisions, law reports etc

Key National Bodies

Key Publications

For further items, search the Parlinfo database and select Library for journal articles, books and library publications, and Media for newspaper articles and media releases. Although full-text searchable, for copyright reasons some material on Parlinfo may be available only to those using the Parliament House computer network

Journals
Government and parliamentary reports etc.
2007
 
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996 and earlier

Links to Other Australian Sites (Pathfinders, Directories etc)

Overseas Sites

Australian Capital Territory same-sex marriage legislation chronology, 2006–08

2006
28 March Civil Unions Bill 2006 introduced, proposing to establish a system of civil unions for same-sex couples. Explanatory Statement.
30 March The Commonwealth Attorney-General threatened to block the Bill under section 122 of the Constitution [media release; ABC AM report] (Federal Law Review article on section 122).
11 May The ACT Government introduced 22 pages of amendments (see p. 18 of PDF) and then passed the Bill. Supplementary Explanatory Statement.
6 June The federal Cabinet decided to recommend disallowance of the Act by the Governor-General under s. 35 of the ACT (Self-Government) Act 1988. Attorney-General’s media release. ACT Govt media releases 6 June, 7 June, 7 June.
8 June The ACT Government introduced and passed the Civil Unions Amendment Act 2006, to reduce the notification period for a civil union from one month to five days. Explanatory Statement. It also passed an address to the Governor-General asking him not to disallow the Civil Unions Act (see p. 2 of PDF).
13 June The Governor-General disallowed the Civil Unions Act. Disallowance instrument and Explanatory Statement.
15 June

A motion to disallow the Governor-General’s disallowance instrument was defeated in the Senate by 30–32. Hansard (pp. 22–49 of PDF). This means that the overturning of the Civil Unions Act by the Commonwealth Government was successful. Attorney-General’s media release. Chief Minister’s media release.
The Same-Sex Marriages Bill 2006 was introduced into the Senate by Senators Stott Despoja and Bartlett (Democrats).
June Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Relationships (Briefing Paper, NSW Parliamentary Library)
21 October It was reported that the ACT Government would present a new Civil Unions Bill later this year or early next year (‘Corbell to revive same-sex laws’, Canberra Times, p. 1).
12 December Civil Partnerships Bill 2006 introduced, removing all references to marriage. Explanatory Statement. Media release. Markus Mannheim, ‘Christian groups unmoved on unions’, Canberra Times, p. 3.
2007
6 February

The Commonwealth Attorney-General, Hon. P. Ruddock, announced that the Commonwealth would recommend that the Governor-General disallow the Civil Partnerships Bill 2006 (ACT) in its current form, because ‘It remains the Government’s opinion that the Civil Partnerships Bill would still in its amended form be likely to undermine the institution of marriage’. Media release 6 February. 666 ABC Canberra, Radio transcript 7 February. Doorstop interview 7 February.
5 December Following the change in Government after the November 2007 federal election, the ACT Attorney General indicated that he wishes to introduce an amended version of the Civil Partnerships Bill to the Legislative Assembly. The new Commonwealth Attorney-General, Hon. R. McClelland, has stated that the Rudd Government supports a ‘nationally consistent method of registration that the States and Territories may adopt.' PM [Radio Program] transcript
2008  
7 February The Attorney General has stated that clauses in the ACT's civil partnership bill that would allow gay couples to hold a public ceremony marking their union are ‘unacceptable'. P. Maley, Gay unions OK, just not in public, The Australian, p. 3

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