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  • Ch 4: Court Practice & Procedure
    • 1. Open Justice
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    • 4. Criminal Procedure >
      • A. Adjournments
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    • 5. Civil Procedure >
      • A. Abridgements
      • B. Adjournments
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      • D. Determinations otherwise than by oral hearing
      • E. Discovery
      • F. Hearings by alternative means
      • G. Security for costs
      • H. Service of documents
      • I. Stay of proceedings, judgments, orders and other decisions
      • J. Timetabling
      • K. Trials by judge alone
  • Ch 5: Further Resources
  • -
  • Last updated: 15 May 2020 (cases); 21 June 2020 (legislation)
  • Home
  • About the Authors
  • Ch 1: Overview
  • Ch 2: Constitution
  • Ch 3: Substantive Law
    • 1. Aged Care
    • 2. Commercial >
      • A. Bankruptcy & Insolvency
      • b. Contract
      • c. Competition & Consumer
      • d. Corporations & Associations
      • e. Transactions
    • 3. Criminal >
      • a. Bail
      • b. Corrections Management
      • c. New Crimes / Infringements
      • d. Sentencing
      • e. Serious & Sex Offenders
      • f. Visitation
      • g. Enforcement
    • 4. Customs & Trade >
      • a. Customs
      • b. Retail Trade
      • c. Gambling & Casinos
    • 5. Defence
    • 6. Emergencies
    • 7. Equity
    • 8. Family >
      • a. Children
      • b. Parenting Orders
      • c. Family Violence
      • d. Marriage
    • 9. Financial >
      • a. Appropriations & financial assistance
      • b. Audits
      • c. Economic Support / Stimulus
      • d. Social Security
      • e. Superannuation
      • f. Taxation
      • g. Insurance
    • 10. Government >
      • a. Obligations
      • b. Government administration
      • c. Public service
      • d. Education
      • e. Transport
      • f. Utilities & Resources
    • 11. Guardianship, Administration & Vulnerable People
    • 12. Human Rights / Civil Liberties
    • 13. Industrial >
      • a. Awards
      • b. Enterprise Agreements
      • c. Stand-downs, redundancies & terminations
      • d. Jobkeeper
      • e. Remuneration & wages
      • f. Leave entitlements
      • g. Protected action
      • h. Workers Comp & Employee safety
    • 14. Maritime
    • 15. Migration
    • 16. Public Security
    • 17. Planning & Environment
    • 18. Property >
      • a. Leases
      • b. Caveats
      • c. Mortgages
      • d. Housing Assistance
      • e. Ownership
    • 19. Public Health >
      • a. Biosecurity / Public Health
      • b. Health & Insurance
      • c. Medicine & Midwifery
      • d. Medicines, Vaccines & Therapeutic Goods
    • 20. Quarantine
    • 21. Regulatory / Professional Discipline
    • 22. Tort
    • 23. Wills & Estates
  • Ch 4: Court Practice & Procedure
    • 1. Open Justice
    • 2. Legislation, Rules and Practice Notes
    • 3. Evidence
    • 4. Criminal Procedure >
      • A. Adjournments
      • B. Hearings by alternative means
      • C. Crimes Mental Impairment
      • D. Juries and trials by judge alone
    • 5. Civil Procedure >
      • A. Abridgements
      • B. Adjournments
      • C. Amendments
      • D. Determinations otherwise than by oral hearing
      • E. Discovery
      • F. Hearings by alternative means
      • G. Security for costs
      • H. Service of documents
      • I. Stay of proceedings, judgments, orders and other decisions
      • J. Timetabling
      • K. Trials by judge alone
  • Ch 5: Further Resources
  • -
  • Last updated: 15 May 2020 (cases); 21 June 2020 (legislation)
  covid19-law.com.au
5. Civil Procedure

F.  Hearings by alternative means

i.  Legislation

​​As of the last update, we are not aware of any COVID-19 related legislation in this area.

ii.  Case law

​A number of jurisdictions have imposed procedures in response to COVID-19 (see the summary of relevant Practice Notes in the Legislation, Rules and Practice Notes section of this Chapter), which require hearings to be conducted otherwise than by face-to-face hearing, unless the Court determines otherwise.

Accordingly, courts and tribunals have been prepared to hear proceedings by telephone. See, for example, AYZ18 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCA 429, [3] (Federal Court of Australia); Asghar v Minister for Immigration & Anor [2020] FCCA 716, [2], and Jeevaratnam & Anor v Combis & Anor [2020] FCCA 746, [2] (Federal Circuit Court of Australia); Oliver and Secretary, Department of Social Services [2020] AATA 761, [6], and Tsiaras and Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (Migration) [2020] AATA 808, [3] (Administrative Appeals Tribunal); 4 yearly review of modern awards [2020] FWCFB 1539, [8] and Southern Cross Care (SA & NT) Inc T/A Southern Cross Care v Carleine Taylor [2020] FWC 736, [87]; JKC Australia LNG Pty Ltd v CH2M Hill Companies Ltd [2020] WASCA 38 (WA Court of Appeal); Chau v Surenddar (Residential Tenancies) [2020] VCAT 393, [5]-[6] (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal); Smith v Li [2020] NSWCATAP 59, [21] (NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal); Hanna v Industrial Relations Secretary on behalf of the Department of Communities and Justice [2020] NSWIRComm 1021, [3] (NSW Industrial Relations Commission); Darc Design and Architecture Pty Ltd v Georges River Council [2020] NSWLEC 1177, [2]-[3], ILME Pty Ltd v Mosman Municipal Council [2020] NSWLEC 1165, [3]-[7], and Connoisseur Investments Pty Ltd v Sutherland Shire Council [2020] NSWLEC 1181, [5] (NSW Land and Environment Court)]).

In the circumstances of the pandemic, it may be appropriate for a party who fails to appear at a hearing conducted by telephone in order to comply with social distancing requirements, to be given a right to seek reinstatement, at least where there is a reasonable explanation for their failure to appear: 1950 Investments Pty Ltd t/as Hogan Prestige Garage v Wabbits Pty Ltd [2020] NSWCATAP 67, [3], [51]; .

Similarly, courts and tribunals have been prepared to hear proceedings by audio-visual link. See, for example, Australian Securities and Investments Commission v GetSwift Limited [2020] FCA 504 and Capic v Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited [2020] FCA 486 (Federal Court of Australia); Epiroc Financial Solutions Australia Pty Limited v Kenworthy [2020] NSWSC 316 (Supreme Court of New South Wales); Opera Australia v Sydney Metro; Kritikos Developments Pty Ltd trading as Iron Duke Hotel v Sydney Metro [2020] NSWLEC 28, [16]-[17] (NSW Land and Environment Court).

​Post-hearing written submissions may be ordered by the Federal Circuit Court where the circumstances of COVID-19 make scheduling a further face-to-face hearing difficult: Ansari and Ors v Minister For Immigration and Anor [2020] FCCA 458, [22].

Applications for adjournment in the context of proposed virtual hearing arrangements are addressed further in the Adjournments (Criminal Procedure) and Adjournments (Civil Procedure) sections of this text.

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