Australian Capital Territory Numbered Acts

JURISDICTION OF COURTS (CROSS-VESTING) ACT (NO. 60 OF 1993) - SECT 5

5. (1) Where—

        (a)     a proceeding (in this subsection called the “relevant proceeding”) is pending in the Supreme Court; and

        (b)     it appears to the Supreme Court that—

              (i)     the relevant proceeding arises out of, or is related to, another proceeding pending in the Federal Court or the Family Court and it is more appropriate that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Federal Court or the Family Court;

              (ii)     having regard to—

(A)     whether, in the opinion of the Supreme Court, apart from this Act and any law of the Commonwealth or another State relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction and apart from any accrued jurisdiction of the Federal Court or the Family Court, the relevant proceeding or a substantial part of the relevant proceeding would have been incapable of being instituted in the Supreme Court and capable of being instituted in the Federal Court or the Family Court;

(B)     the extent to which, in the opinion of the Supreme Court, the matters for determination in the relevant proceeding are matters arising under or involving questions as to the application, interpretation or validity of a law of the Commonwealth and not within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court apart from this Act and any law of the Commonwealth or another State relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction; and

(C)     the interests of justice;

it is more appropriate that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Federal Court or the Family Court, as the case may be; or

              (iii)     it is otherwise in the interests of justice that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Federal Court or the Family Court;

the Supreme Court shall transfer the relevant proceeding to the Federal Court or the Family Court, as the case may be.

(2) Where—

        (a)     a proceeding (in this subsection called the “relevant proceeding”) is pending in the Supreme Court (in this subsection called the “first court”); and

        (b)     it appears to the first court that—

              (i)     the relevant proceeding arises out of, or is related to, another proceeding pending in the Supreme Court of another State or of a Territory and it is more appropriate that the relevant proceeding be determined by that other Supreme Court;

              (ii)     having regard to—

(A)     whether, in the opinion of the first court, apart from this Act and a law of the Commonwealth or another State relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction, the relevant proceeding or a substantial part of the relevant proceeding would have been incapable of being instituted in the first court and capable of being instituted in the Supreme Court of another State or Territory;

(B)     the extent to which, in the opinion of the first court, the matters for determination in the relevant proceeding are matters arising under or involving questions as to the application, interpretation or validity of a law of that other State or Territory and not within the jurisdiction of the first court apart from this Act and a law of the Commonwealth or another State relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction; and

(C)     the interests of justice;

it is more appropriate that the relevant proceeding be determined by that other Supreme Court; or

              (iii)     it is otherwise in the interests of justice that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Supreme Court of another State or Territory;

the first court shall transfer the relevant proceeding to that other Supreme Court.

(3) Where—

        (a)     a proceeding (in this subsection called the “relevant proceeding”) is pending in the Supreme Court of another State or of a Territory (in this subsection called the “first court”); and

        (b)     it appears to the first court that—

              (i)     the relevant proceeding arises out of, or is related to, another proceeding pending in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and it is more appropriate that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory;

              (ii)     having regard to—

(A)     whether, in the opinion of the first court, apart from this Act and a law of the Commonwealth or another State relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction, the relevant proceeding or a substantial part of the relevant proceeding would have been incapable of being instituted in the first court and capable of being instituted in the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory;

(B)     the extent to which, in the opinion of the first court, the matters for determination in the relevant proceeding are matters arising under or involving questions as to the application, interpretation or validity of a law of the Australian Capital Territory and not within the jurisdiction of the first court apart from this Act and a law of the Commonwealth or another State relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction; and

(C)     the interests of justice;

it is more appropriate that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory; or

              (iii)     it is otherwise in the interests of justice that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory;

the first court shall transfer the relevant proceeding to the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory.

(4) Where—

        (a)     a proceeding (in this subsection called the “relevant proceeding”) is pending in the Federal Court or the Family Court (in this subsection called the “first court”); and

        (b)     it appears to the first court that—

              (i)     the relevant proceeding arises out of, or is related to, another proceeding pending in the Supreme Court and it is more appropriate that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Supreme Court;

              (ii)     having regard to—

(A)     whether, in the opinion of the first court, apart from this Act and a law of the Commonwealth or another State relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction, the relevant proceeding or a substantial part of the relevant proceeding would have been incapable of being instituted in the first court and capable of being instituted in the Supreme Court;

(B)     the extent to which, in the opinion of the first court, the matters for determination in the relevant proceeding are matters arising under or involving questions as to the application, interpretation or validity of a law of the Australian Capital Territory and not within the jurisdiction of the first court apart from this Act and a law of the Commonwealth or another State relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction; and

(C)     the interests of justice;

it is more appropriate that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Supreme Court; or

              (iii)     it is otherwise in the interests of justice that the relevant proceeding be determined by the Supreme Court;

the first court shall transfer the relevant proceeding to the Supreme Court.

(5) Where—

        (a)     a proceeding (in this subsection called the “relevant proceeding”) is pending in the Federal Court or the Family Court (in this subsection called the “first court”); and

        (b)     it appears to the first court that—

              (i)     the relevant proceeding arises out of, or is related to, another proceeding pending in the other of the courts referred to in paragraph (a) and it is more appropriate that the relevant proceeding be determined by the other of the courts referred to in paragraph (a); or

              (ii)     it is otherwise in the interests of justice that the relevant proceeding be determined by the other of the courts referred to in paragraph (a);

the first court shall transfer the relevant proceeding to that other court.

(6) Where—

        (a)     a court (in this subsection called the “first court”) transfers a proceeding to another court under a law or laws relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction; and

        (b)     it appears to the first court that—

              (i)     there is another proceeding pending in the first court that arises out of, or is related to, the first-mentioned proceeding; and

              (ii)     it is in the interests of justice that the other proceeding be determined by the other court;

the first court shall transfer the other proceeding to the other court.

(7) A court may transfer a proceeding under this section on the application of a party to the proceeding, of its own motion or on the application of the Attorney-General of the Commonwealth or of a State or Territory.

(8) A person who is entitled to practise as a barrister or solicitor, or as both a barrister and a solicitor, in a court has, if a proceeding (in this subsection called the “transferred proceeding”) in that court is transferred to another court under a law or laws relating to cross-vesting of jurisdiction, the same entitlement to practise in relation to—

        (a)     the transferred proceeding; and

        (b)     any other proceeding out of which the transferred proceeding arises or to which the transferred proceeding is related, being another proceeding that is to be determined together with the transferred proceeding;

in the other court that the person would have if the other court were a federal court exercising federal jurisdiction.