Federal Court jobs abolished and then recreated at higher pay grades … Efficiency and budget savings hard at work … Judges anxious about the loss of quality registrars … Willy or won’t he? … Grim news as Family Court appeals judge throws in his gown 

These jobs are part of the reform hurricane tearing through the court in what is known internally as the National Court Framework. 

The small but powerful Sia Lagos has ascended to the role of national operations registrar and she is responsible for implementing the “framework”, importantly the backend reconstruction that sees the end of district registrars, with filings now made according to practice areas. 

In the pecking order she comes directly under the CEO, Wokka Soden, and to emphasise her position she has been known to commence meetings with judges and senior staff saying: 

“I am speaking with the full authority of the CJ [Chuckles Allsop].” 

Her deputy in Melbourne is David Pringle and it is expected he might land the job of new deputy national operations registrar, as a level 2 senior executive service officer. 

However, it is the appointment of a national appeals registrar that has insiders intrigued. It will go to Catherine Forbes (formerly Kroll) who is currently the national court file registrar. 

Both Catherine and David are part of the new national ops registry based at Melbourne command centre. 

Curiously, the national appeals registrar was done away with in September 2016 in a blaze of efficiency rationalisations. The incumbent for 16 years was Angela Josan, who was offered a redundancy and left amid great consternation among the judges and senior staff who knew she was a top rate registrar. 

“… the decision supports the current requirements to find budget savings and efficiencies among our workforce and processes and will ultimately result in a more streamlined approach to dealing with the judicial workload of the court as well as providing a more cohesive external service. 

The change will allow more synergies, processes improvement and a closer understanding of where further efficiencies can be achieved …” 

He wrapped it up by saying: 

“Angela Josan who has managed the appeals function for many years as you know has decided to take a redundancy option and leave the court … 

As you know Angela has had a significant impact on the court and her work is very much appreciated and I on all our behalf wish her the very best for the future.” 

There it is. Angela Josan is made redundant and her position abolished on grounds of budget savings and efficiency and then 18 months later the job is reinstated at a higher level and pay grade. 

Heads are being scratched throughout the Lubyanka. 

His resignation followed promptly on the heels of chief justice John Pascoe’s elevation of Willy (Three Wigs) Alstergren as Family Court appeals manager. 

Family Court judges are incandescent that the chief judge of the Federal Circuit Court (Willy) is now allocating appeals as appeals manager (Willy) and as deputy chief justice of the Family Court (Willy). 

This awkward straddle is a legacy of former attorney general Soapy Brandis. 

Trackray’s removal as manager of appeals is another “cost saving and efficiency initiative” with the aim of cutting down on the expense of travel, not only for judges, but their wives, associates, footmen, bag-carriers, etc. 

In any event, even though the court was overdue for a shake-up, or a “kick up the arse” as one judicial officer explained, campers at the Family Court are not currently a happy bunch.