January 2014

• Date: 01 January 2014
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12064
• Author: Andrew Schepard
• Published date: 01 January 2014

EDITORIAL NOTES

JANUARY 2014

This issue begins Volume 52 of Family Court Review (FCR).

SPECIAL ISSUE: PAPERS FROM THE SIXTH WORLD CONGRESS ON FAMILY LAW

AND CHILDREN’S RIGHTS: BUILDING BRIDGES FROM PRINCIPLE TO REALITY

This issue also marks the fourth time since I have been editor that FCR has published selected

papers from the World Congress on Family Law and the Rights of Children and Youth. It thus

continues AFCC’s and FCR’s long-ter m association with this wonderfully diverse international

gathering of those concerned with the welfare of children and families. It also contributes to FCR’s

efforts to bring international perspectives on critical issues to our readers.

I wish I could have attended the Sixth World Congress from which selected papers are published

in this issue. It was held March 17–20, 2013, in Sydney, Australia and by all accounts was an

outstanding event. Arnie Sheinvold, AFCC President, and Peter Salem, AFCC’s Executive Director,

represented AFCC at the World Congress. They report that the program included presentations on

topics as diverse as the plight of enslaved young girls, children orphaned by war, family law changes

in the United Kingdom, and parenting coordination.

As it did in the past, AFCC closely collaborated with the World Congress organizers. AFCC was

a Congress sponsor and many AFCC members attended. Diana Bryant, Chief Justice of the Family

Court of Australia and AFCC Board member, headed the World Congress Program Committee and

served as co-director of studies. An AFCC Australia chapter was launched at this World Congress.

The Sixth World Congress marked a passing of its leadership torch. Our colleagues Rod Burr and

Stuart Fowler are retiring as World Congress co-chairs. They have served in World Congress leader-

ship positions since the early 1990s and have been involved at some level in partnering with AFCC

since the 1997 San Francisco joint World Congress and AFCC Conference. We will all miss working

with them.

The Honorable Joseph V. Kay is the guest editor for this issue, as he was for the most recent

previous issue of World Congress papers. Joe served as Director of Studies for this World Congress

with Diana Bryant. I leave it to Joe to further describe the authors and papers in this Special Issue.

I do, however, want to take this opportunity to introduce (or reintroduce) Joe to FCR readers:

Joe was a justice of the Family Court of Australia from June 1986 until February 2008. When he

retired, Diana Bryant described his distinguished career:*

Justice Kay has an incisive grasp of family law and a fierce intellect tempered by a keen sense of humor.

He has specialized in family law since his earlyyears as a bar rister whenthe Matrimonial Causes Act 1959

was still the relevant legislation. Justice Kay was one of the first barristers to fully come to grips with the

Family LawAct in 1975 which revolutionized the way in whichrelationships were assessed and dissolved.

He was a foundation member of the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia and he brought

to the Bench a wealth of experience and knowledge. Justice Kaycontributed to the development of law, in

many areas, but particularly in two areas.When the child suppor t scheme wasfirst introduced, Justice Kay

quickly became an expert and many of the child support decisions at first instance and on appeal involve

him. The same applies to the decision of the Court following the introduction of the Hague Conventionon

FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Vol. 52 No. 1, January 2014 1–3

© 2014 Association of Familyand Conciliation Cour ts