HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA PRACTICE DIRECTION NO 2 OF 2010 USE OF INITIALS OR PSEUDONYMS IN APPLICATIONS

1. This Practice Direction applies to applications for leave or special leave to appeal and applications for removal pursuant to s40 of the Judiciary Act 1903 filed after 1 January 2011.

2. Except as provided by this Practice Direction the names of the parties in applications shall be identical to the names used to identify the relevant parties in the judgment pronounced by the Court below.

1. 3. Where, in proceedings before the Court below:

(a) a party was identified by the use of initials or a pseudonym; or

(b) the publication or disclosure of the name of a party was prohibited by operation of a statute or order of a Court; or

(c) the judgment published by the Court below used a pseudonym title for the names of the parties

the applicant shall use the initials or pseudonym in any application filed in this Court.  The use of initials or a pseudonym will continue in proceedings in this Court unless a contrary order is made by the Court or a Justice.

2 November 2010

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HIGH COURT UPHOLDS CHAPLAINCY CHALLENGE

ABC Updated June 20, 2012

A jazz-singing father of six has won a battle against the Commonwealth in the High Court over the school chaplaincy program.

Ron Williams, from Toowoomba, Queensland, took issue with what he called a religious missionary being put into schools.

He challenged the program on the basis Commonwealth officers are not allowed to be subject to a religious test under the Constitution.

The court dismissed that claim, but did find the Commonwealth had no power to enter the agreement which funded the program.

The national chaplaincy program was set up in 2007 by the Howard government to provide for the spiritual wellbeing of students.

It was later modified by Labor to allow schools to choose to employ either a chaplain or a non-religious student welfare worker.

Under the program, schools could choose to employ a chaplain for spiritual guidance although pushing religion was banned.

Today's decision against the program will affect around 2,500 chaplains across Australia and could have implications for other state-run programs.

The Government said it was carefully reviewing the High Court's decision.

"The only government program that was challenged and invalidated by this decision was the National School Chaplaincy Program," Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said in a statement.

"The Government is committed to maintaining funding for important community programs."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said it would be a "real pity" if the chaplaincy program was not able to continue.

"We invented the program, we support the program, we want it to continue," he said.

"Let's look at the court's decision and let's see what the Government has in mind.”
http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/-/latest/13990736/high-court-upholds-chaplaincy-challenge/

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