Review of the Findings of the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on Family and Community Affairs in Their Inquiry into Child Custody Issues of Australia

In June 2003, a joint parliamentary Standing Committee on Family and Community Affairs was commissioned by the Prime Minister to conduct an inquiry into child custody issues and the child support formula. The committee presented its report on the 29th of December 2003 along with its recommendations for reform of the Family Law Act 1975. The focus of this report will be on an evaluation of the existing law and the recommendations provided by the Standing Committee on Family and Community Affairs.
The legislation pertaining to Childrens matters is contained primarily in Part 7 of the Family Law Act 1975. In 1995, the Commonwealth Parliament passed significant amendments to those sections of the Act affecting children. The amending legislation introduced a number of important concepts, these included:
Section 60B the objects of the Parts and Principles underlying them.…