Latest News | ADRAC

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

ADRAC is moving its home

The Australian Government Solicitor (AGS) has provided invaluable pro bono support to ADRAC
since our foundation in 2015. It has been ADRAC’s registered office, providing continuing support
in the nature of company secretary duties and each year an AGS lawyer acted as ADRAC’s
Executive Secretary. This support was of great benefit to our work, organisation and development.
As a result of recent amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counterterrorism Financing
Act 2006 (Cth) which came into effect on 1 July, it became unviable for the AGS to continue to
provide that support. We will always be grateful to the AGS for the wonderful executive assistance
it has provided during the eleven years since 2015. We are also grateful that the AGS will continue
its pro bono legal assistance to us.

Fortunately, Moray & Agnew a national law firm, has generously agreed to take over the pro bono
executive support the AGS provided. It is now ADRAC’s registered office and will provide support
in the nature of company secretary duties as well as pro bono legal assistance. We are profoundly
grateful to Moray & Agnew for agreeing to help us continue our research to improve knowledge
and operation of dispute resolution processes in the public interest. We look forward to working
with them in our ongoing promotion of ADR.

4 August 2026

Conciliation: Connecting the Dots
(15 September 2021)

On 15 July 2021, The Honourable Ruth McColl AO SC, ADRAC Chair, delivered a speech to the Resolution Institute Conference.

A copy of the presentation, "Conciliation: Connecting the Dots" can now be accessed on the ADRAC website.

Vale - Stephen Thackray 1955 - 2020
(May 03, 2020)

ADRAC mourns the death of a good friend of dispute resolution, Stephen Thackray, who from 2007 until early 2019 was the Chief Judge of the Family Court of Western Australia.

Stephen made DR practitioners personally welcome in the Court as well as welcoming their contribution to Court practices. He was a leader among dispute resolvers: moving with and ahead of the times. As the paradigm shift from distributive to integrated justice gained validity and energy, Stephen embraced the opportunities this presented in the interests of the clients of the Court, promoting and accommodating Family Dispute Resolution at every opportunity. After retiring from the Court in 2019, Stephen brought his competencies, compassion and commitment to mediation where he quickly established the fine reputation that he had had throughout his legal and judicial careers.

The thoughts of the Chair and Members of ADRAC are with Stephen’s family, his colleagues and his friends.

ADRAC's Conciliation Discussion Paper
(October 21, 2019)

On behalf of ADRAC, Ruth McColl AO SC, as Chair of ADRAC, is pleased to announce the release of ADRAC’s Conciliation Discussion Paper.

Australia has proven to be a large user of conciliation since the 19th century. Conciliation is embedded in the Australian Constitution as an ADR process. Parliaments across Australia have picked up conciliation as a dispute resolution mechanism, embedded in over 90 pieces of legislation.

ADRAC’s Discussion Paper is the culmination of almost three years work. It is the largest known study of conciliation in Australia.

The Paper includes the results of literature reviews, an extensive study of Territory, State and Commonwealth legislation, interviews and workshops with conciliators and conciliation managers, reviews of conciliation material on websites of conciliation entities, online surveys, a study of advertisements for conciliators, and focus groups of conciliators in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

SUBMISSIONS

ADRAC publishes here its Discussion Paper on Conciliation in Australia. The Appendix to the Discussion Paper can be found here.

ADRAC seeks submissions from any interested person or entity, before publication of a final report. Submissions should be addressed to office@adrac.org.au and received by 4.00pm, 1 December 2019.

Telephone enquiries may be made by ringing Jeremy Gormly (a member of the ADRAC Council), on 0400 19 09 53.