Australian News

After 13 years at the helm of the Family Court, it is clear to outgoing chief justice Diana Bryant what the system needs — and it isn't necessarily more judges. Last year more than 85 per cent of cases did not go to judgment. What the court really needs, she says, is more family consultants and registrars to help settle cases earlier, before the parties go to trial or see a judge. "The whole system suffers from a lack of resources to get through the work in a satisfactory way," says Bryant as she prepares to retire on turning 70 next week. "We have an enormous number of cases and we know that most of them will settle, [yet] they stay in the court without being resolved. "They just sit in the list. That's appalling." This year the federal budget provided funding for 17 family consultants across the Family Court, the Federal Circuit Court and the Family Court of Western Australia, plus three new registrars to help manage workloa...

YEREVAN, ARMENIA Robert Lewandowski scored a hat trick to become Poland's all-time highest scorer and put his team on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup after beating Armenia 6-1 on Thursday. Poland increased its lead in Europe Group E to six points ahead of Montenegro and Denmark, who faced each other in Podgorica later. If they drew, Poland would automatically qualify with a game to spare. Lewandowski curled in a free kick over the defensive wall from some 20 meters for his first goal of the night and 48th in internationals, tying Wlodzimierz Lubanski as Poland's all-time leading scorer. Just seven minutes later, Lewandowksi owned the record outright after netting from close following an indirect free kick, given because Taron Voskanyan passed the ball to goalkeeper Grigor Meliksetyan. Another tap in gave Lewandowski his hat trick in the 64th, and 50th international goal. Hovhannes Hambardzumyan headed home for Armenia six minutes before halftime to reduce t...

THE stakes don’t get much bigger. Penalties don’t come much softer. The huge talking point out of Australia’s World Cup qualifying 1-1 draw with Syria in Malacca is the penalty that Ange Postecoglou labelled “dubious” and prompted a furious Robbie Kruse to declare “it’s never a pen, but you come to expect that in this confederation”. With Australia leading 1-0 in the 84th minute, Mathew Leckie leapt to vie with Omar Al Soma for a cross into the box. Contact was, at best, minimal and players in gold were aghast as the Iranian referee Alireza Faghani pointed to the spot. This isn’t to say that on the balance of the second-half, where Australia failed to put the game away and take control of their 1-0 advantage, that the Syrians didn’t deserve an equaliser. Mat Ryan made two saves – one from long range, and one phenomenal point blank stop – that held Australia’s advantage. But that doesn’t deny the controversy that the late penalty has stirred. Speaking to Fox Sports a...