Important cases

Back to homepage
Table of contents
Recent updates

Search for:

Important cases

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander placement principles

[3-1000] Re Lucinda Porter (No 2) [2023] NSWChC 2
Re Malakhai [2022] NSWChC 6
Hackett (a pseudonym) v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2020] NSWCA 83
Department of Communities and Justice and Masters [2020] NSWChC 7
Adoption of B [2019] NSWSC 908
Fischer v Thompson (Anonymised) [2019] NSWSC 773
Re Timothy [2010] NSWSC 524
Re Victoria and Marcus [2010] CLN 2

[3-1020] Hackett (a pseudonym) v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2020] NSWCA 83
Department of Communities and Justice and Jake [2020] NSWChC 2
Adoption of B [2019] NSWSC 908
Fischer v Thompson (Anonymised) [2019] NSWSC 773
Department of Communities and Justice and the Stonsky Children [2019] NSWChC 8
Adoption of SRB, CJB and RDB [2014] NSWSC 138

[3-1040] Polsen v Harrison [2021] NSWCA 23
JL v S, DFaCS [2015] NSWCA 88

Care and protection

[3-1060] Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Skyla [2023] NSWChC 12
DCJ and Evie and Grace [2023] NSWChC 1
Y (a pseudonym) v Secretary, Communities and Justice (No 4) [2021] NSWDC 81
Department of Communities and Justice and Jacinta [2021] NSWChC 5
CXZ v Children’s Guardian [2020] NSWCA 338
Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice v B [2020] NSWDC 736
A v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice (No 4) [2019] NSWSC 1872
Re Benji and Perry [2018] NSWSC 1750
NU v NSW Secretary of Family and Community Services [2017] NSWCA 221
AA v DFaCS [2016] NSWCA 323
DFaCS re Eggleton [2016] NSWChC 4
Re June [2013] NSWSC 969
Re Sophie (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 89
Re Jayden [2007] NSWCA 35
SB v Parramatta Children’s Court [2007] NSWSC 1297
Re Alistair [2006] NSWSC 411

[3-1080] DCJ and Evie and Grace [2023] NSWChC 1
JE v Secretary, DFaCS [2019] NSWCA 162
DFaCS and Nicole [2018] NSWChC 3
DFaCS and the Slade Children [2017] NSWChC 4
C v S, FaCS [2016] NSWDC 103

Change in circumstances/rescission or variation of care plans

[3-1100] LZ v Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services [2019] NSWDC 156
DFaCS and Bridget [2019] NSWChC 4
Re Jeremy (a pseudonym); DM v Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services [2017] NSWCA 220
FaCS v Kestle [2012] NSWChC 2
Re Campbell [2011] NSWSC 761
Re Hamilton [2010] CLN 2
S v Department of Community Services [2002] NSWCA 151

Child Representatives/Independent Legal Representative (ILRs)

[3-1120] GR v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWCA 301
GR v Department of Communities and Justice [2020] NSWSC 1622
DFaCS and the Prince Children [2019] NSWChC 2
DFaCS and Leo [2019] NSWChC 3
SL v S, DFaCS [2016] NSWCA 124
Re Jayden [2007] NSWCA 35

Contact orders

[3-1140] SM v Director-General, Department of Human Services [2010] NSWDC 250
Re Hamilton [2010] CLN 2
Re Liam [2005] NSWSC 75
Re Helen [2004] NSWLC 7

Convention on the Rights of the Child

[3-1160] Re Henry [2015] NSWCA 89
JL v S, DFaCS [2015] NSWCA 88
Re Tracey (2011) 80 NSWLR 261

[3-1180] Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Layla, Jasmine and Zara [2023] NSWChC 14
Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Katie [2023] NSWChC 11
Y v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice (No 7) [2021] NSWDC 477
Re: A Costs Appellant Carer (a pseudonym) v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWDC 197
Re A Foster Carer v DFaCS (No 2) [2018] NSWDC 71
S, DFaCS and the Knoll Children (Costs) [2015] NSWChC 2

Experts’ reports

[3-1200] J & T v DCJ [2023] NSWDC 78
Jones v Booth [2019] NSWSC 1066
Department of Family and Community Services and the Jacobs children [2019] NSWChC 11
DFaCS and Amber [2019] NSWChC 10
Secretary, Department of Family and Community Services v Hayward (a pseudonym) (2018) 98 NSWLR 599
Hayward v R (2018) 97 NSWLR 852
R v Hayward [2017] NSWSC 1170

Guardian ad litem

[3-1220] CM v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2022] NSWCA 120
GR v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWCA 267
GR v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWCA 157
CM v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWSC 1442
GR v Department of Communities and Justice [2020] NSWSC 1622

Identification of children in the media

[3-1240] Burton v DPP [2022] NSWCA 242
Burton v DPP (NSW) [2021] NSWSC 1230
Burton v DPP (2019) 100 NSWLR 734
AB (a pseudonym) v R (No 3) (2019) 97 NSWLR 1046
Secretary, DFaCS v Smith (2017) 95 NSWLR 597

[3-1260] In re a Child [2022] NSWSC 671
AB and JB v Secretary [2021] NSWDC 626
EC v Secretary, NSW Department of Family and Community Services [2019] NSWSC 226
Secretary, DFaCS and Krystal [2019] NSWChC 6
GO v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2017] NSWDC 198
Department of Communities and Justice and Lara [2017] NSWChC 6

Jurisdiction

[3-1280] DN v Secretary, DCJ [2023] NSWSC 595
Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and May, June and Roy [2023] NSWChC 15
Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice v KH [2022] NSWCA 221
Harris (pseudonym) v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWCA 261
JH v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWSC 1539
A v Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWSC 937
Department of Communities and Justice and Jacinta [2021] NSWChC 5
Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Cara (a pseudonym) [2021] NSWChC 3
A v Secretary, Family and Community Services (No 2) [2019] NSWSC 43
Department of Family and Community Services and the Jacobs children [2019] NSWChC 11
DFaCS and Amber [2019] NSWChC 10
D v C; Re B (No 2) [2018] NSWCA 310
Bondelmonte v Bondelmonte (2017) 259 CLR 662
DFaCS and the Slade Children [2017] NSWChC 4
DFaCS and the Eastway Children [2017] NSWChC 3
Re Madison (No 2) [2015] NSWSC 27
AQY and AQZ v Administrative Decisions Tribunal of NSW [2013] NSWSC 1028

Language and culture

[3-1300] Other cases
Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice and Fiona Farmer [2019] NSWChC 5

Non-accidental injury

[3-1320] DCJ and Evie and Grace [2023] NSWChC 1
SL v S, DFaCS [2016] NSWCA 124

Parens patriae

[3-1340] Re Leonardo [2022] NSWSC 1265
GR v Secretary, DFaCSJ [2019] NSWCA 177
S, DFaCS re “Lee” [2015] NSWSC 1276
Re Tilly v Minister, FaCS [2015] NSWSC 1208
TF v DFaCS [2015] NSWSC 694

“Parent” definition

[3-1360] Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and Cara (a pseudonym) [2021] NSWChC 3
Secretary, DFaCS and Krystal [2019] NSWChC 6
S, DFaCS and the Marks Children [2016] NSWChC 2

Permanency planning

[3-1380] DCJ and Evie and Grace [2023] NSWChC 1
Department of Communities and Justice and Murphy [2020] NSWChC 12
Department of Communities and Justice and Jack and Jill [2020] NSWChC 3
Department of Communities and Justice and Jake [2020] NSWChC 2
Department of Communities and Justice and Teddy [2020] NSWChC 1
BA v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2019] NSWCA 206
Department of Communities and Justice and the Stonsky Children [2019] NSWChC 8

[3-1400] Isles and Nelissen [2022] FedCFamC1A 97
DCJ and Janet and Xing-fu [2022] NSWChC 7
NU v NSW Secretary of Family and Community Services [2017] NSWCA 221
Re Sophie (No 2) [2009] NSWCA 89
M v M FC 88/063 (1988) 166 CLR 69

Realistic possibility of restoration

[3-1420] Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) and the Dalton Tomkins Children [2023] NSWChC 10
DCJ and Evie and Grace [2023] NSWChC 1
Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice v KH [2022] NSWCA 221
GR v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2022] NSWCA 153
Re Malakhai [2022] NSWChC 6
Finn, Lincoln, Marina and Blake Hughes [2022] NSWChC 4
Department of Communities and Justice and Jamzie [2022] NSWChC 1
Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice v KH [2021] NSWCA 308
GR v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWCA 267
GR v Department of Communities and Justice [2021] NSWSC 1081
Y v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice (No 6) [2021] NSWDC 392
Department of Communities and Justice and Bloom [2021] NSWChC 2
Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice and Fiona Farmer [2019] NSWChC 5
DFaCS and the Steward Children [2019] NSWChC 1
Re Tanya [2016] NSWSC 794
Re M (No 8) [2016] NSWSC 641
Re M (No 6) [2016] NSWSC 170
S, DFaCS and the Harper Children [2016] NSWChC 3
Re Henry [2015] NSWCA 89
Re Tracey (2011) 80 NSWLR 261

Short-term orders

[3-1440] Department of Communities and Justice and Teddy [2020] NSWChC 1
Department of Communities and Justice and Jack and Jill [2020] NSWChC 3
Department of Communities and Justice and Jake [2020] NSWChC 2
Department of Communities and Justice and the Stonsky Children [2019] NSWChC 8
Bondelmonte v Bondelmonte (2017) 259 CLR 662
Re Jayden [2007] NSWCA 35

Unacceptable risk

[3-1460] DCJ and Evie and Grace [2023] NSWChC 1
Isles and Nelissen [2022] FedCFamC1A 97
DCJ and Janet and Xing-fu [2022] NSWChC 7
A v Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice (No 4) [2019] NSWSC 1872
Re Benji and Perry [2018] NSWSC 1750
AA v DFaCS [2016] NSWCA 323
DFaCS re Eggleton [2016] NSWChC 4
S, DFaCS and the Marks Children [2016] NSWChC 2
Re June [2013] NSWSC 969

Unexplained injury

[3-1480] DCJ and Harry [2023] NSWChC 5
DCJ and Evie and Grace [2023] NSWChC 1

The Judicial Commission of NSW, an independent statutory corporation, is part of the judicial arm of government. It was established by the Judicial Officers Act 1986.

We acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which the Commission is based, and pay respect to their Elders past and present.

Follow us

Judicial Commission of NSW 2023 and contributors, except:

Terms of use and disclaimer