New Appointments to the Family Law Council

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has appointed Deputy Chief Justice John Faulks, Federal Magistrate Norah Hartnett and Federal Magistrate Robyn Sexton to the Family Law Council.
Mr Kym Duggan has been reappointed to the Council.
The function of the Family Law Council is to advise the Attorney-General on legislation relating to family law and any other matters relating to family law.
Deputy Chief Justice Faulks has been a judge of the Family Court since 1994 and has been in his current position since 2004. He has previously been chairperson of the Family Law Council as well as President of the Law Council of Australia and President of the Australian Capital Territory Law Society.
Federal Magistrate Norah Hartnett was appointed as Federal Magistrate in June 2000 and is the co-ordinating Federal Magistrate for Victoria. She also holds an appointment to the National Alternative Dispute Resolution Council.
Federal Magistrate Robyn Sexton was appointed to her present position in June 2004. She has been a respected practitioner in family law, with a strong interest in children’s issues. She has served on the panel of solicitors for Bidura Children’s Court in Sydney and been a member of the NSW Medical Tribunal and Social Security Appeal Tribunal. She has also been the commissioner of the NSW Legal Aid Commission.
Mr Kym Duggan has had a long association with the Family Law Council as the Assistant Secretary of the Family Law Branch of the Attorney-General’s Department.
The terms of all of the new appointees will expire in February 2010. Mr Ruddock said he hoped all would continue to make an important contribution to the development of family law.