Commonwealth Numbered Acts Commonwealth Numbered Acts(1) The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) or a Judge may, for the purposes of any proceeding, direct or allow testimony to be given by video link or audio link.
Note: See also section 204.
(2) The testimony must be given on oath or affirmation unless:
(a) the person giving the testimony is in a foreign country; and
(b) either:
(i) the law in force in that country does not permit the person to give testimony on oath or affirmation for the purposes of the proceeding; or
(ii) the law in force in that country would make it inconvenient for the person to give testimony on oath or affirmation for the purposes of the proceeding; and
(c) the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) or a Judge is satisfied that it is appropriate for the testimony to be given otherwise than on oath or affirmation.
(3) If the testimony is given otherwise than on oath or affirmation, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) or the Judge is to give the testimony such weight as the Court or the Judge thinks fit in the circumstances.
(4) The power conferred on the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2) or a Judge by subsection (1) may be exercised:
(a) on the application of a party to the proceedings concerned; or
(b) on the Court's own initiative or on the Judge's own initiative, as the case may be.
(5) This section applies whether the person giving testimony is in or outside Australia, but does not apply if the person giving testimony is in New Zealand.
Note: See Part 6 of the Trans-Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 .