Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

The Attorney-General's Portfolio Miscellaneous Measures Bill 2023 will make a range of important amendments to update, clarify and improve the intended operation of legislation administered by the Attorney-General's portfolio. The bill will enhance the capacity of the Australian court system to deal with corporate crime offences and enable a more efficient jury preparation process in the federal court of Australia. The bill will also formalise the government's election commitment to abolish the native title respondent scheme. Thirty years on from the enactment of the Native Title Act, the law is largely settled, and legal costs associated with responding to native title claims should now be treated as an ordinary business expense.

The bill will also clarify and improve the operation of the Commonwealth Marriage Celebrants Program, provide greater accessibility for marrying couples by allowing couples to have the notice of intended marriage witnessed remotely and streamline the administrative process used in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia for family law arbitration applications to review an arbitral award or to determine a question of law. In conclusion, these amendments will make a number of appropriate and necessary improvements to laws in my portfolio. I commend the bill to the House.

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