Contents

Part 1--Preliminary                                                                                                                1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 1

4............ External Territories ............................................................................. 4

Part 2--Reciprocal enforcement of judgments                                                       5

5............ Application of this Part on the basis of reciprocity of treatment ...... 5

6............ Application for, and effect of, registration of foreign judgments ....... 7

7............ Setting aside a registered judgment ................................................... 10

8............ Stay of enforcement of a registered judgment ................................... 13

9............ Re‑registration of certain registered judgments which have been set aside               14

10.......... Registrable judgments not to be otherwise enforceable .................... 14

Part 3--Miscellaneous                                                                                                        15

11.......... Judgments to which Part 2 does not apply ...................................... 15

12.......... General effect of certain judgments .................................................. 15

13.......... Money judgments unenforceable if no reciprocity ........................... 16

14.......... Registered judgments cease to be enforceable in certain circumstances 16

15.......... Issue of certificates of judgments obtained in Australian courts ...... 17

16.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 17

17.......... Rules of Court .................................................................................. 17

Part 4--Transitional provisions                                                                                     19

18.......... Registration of judgments recognised under State or Territory law . 19

19.......... Enforcement of judgments registered under State or Territory law after commencement of this Act      19

20.......... Rules of Court ................................................................................. 19

Part 5--Amendments of other Acts                                                                             21

Sections 21, 22 ................................................................................................. 21

Notes                                                                                                                                             23

An Act relating to the enforcement of foreign judgments in the Commonwealth, and for related purposes

  

 

Notes to the Foreign Judgments Act 1991

Note 1

The Foreign Judgments Act 1991 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 112, 1991 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

For all relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement		Application, saving or transitional provisions
Foreign Judgments Act 1991	112, 1991	27 June 1991	S. 21: 27 Oct 1991 Remainder: Royal Assent
Service and Execution of Process (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 1992	166, 1992	11 Dec 1992	10 Apr 1993 (see s. 2 and Gazette 1993, No. GN13)	--
Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 1997	34, 1997	17 Apr 1997	Schedule 9: Royal Assent (a)	--
as amended by
Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 1999	125, 1999	13 Oct 1999	Schedule 12: 17 Apr 1997 (b)	--
Trans‑Tasman Proceedings (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2010	36, 2010	13 Apr 2010	S. 4: Royal Assent Schedule 2 (items 21-23): [see s. 2(1), Note 2 and Table A]	S. 4 and Sch. 2 (item 23)

(a)     The Foreign Judgments Act 1991 was amended by Schedule 9 only of the Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 1997, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to this section, this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(b)    The Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 1997 was amended by Schedule 12 only of the Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 1999, subsection 2(6) of which provides as follows:

                 (6)   Schedule 12 is taken to have commenced on 17 April 1997, immediately after the commencement of Schedule 9 to the Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 1997.

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part 2
S. 6......................................	am. No. 166, 1992; No. 34, 1997 (as am. by No. 125, 1999)
S. 7......................................	am. No. 166, 1992

Note 2

Trans‑Tasman Proceedings (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2010 (No. 36, 2010)

The following amendments commence at the same time as section 3 of the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010:

Schedule 2

21  Paragraph 5(8)(d)

Omit "New Zealand or".

22  Subsection 5(10)

Repeal the subsection, substitute:

           (10)  This Part does not apply to a judgment given by a court of New Zealand.

Note:          For the enforcement in Australia of judgments given by courts of New Zealand, see Part 7 of the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010.

As at 19 April 2010 the amendments are not incorporated in this compilation.

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Trans‑Tasman Proceedings (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Act 2010 (No. 36, 2010)

4  Definitions

             (1)  In this Act:

commencement means the day on which section 3 of the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010 commences.

Trans‑Tasman Act means the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010.

             (2)  In this Act, expressions that are defined in the Trans‑Tasman Act have the same meanings as they have in that Act.

The following provision commences at the same time as section 3 of the Trans‑Tasman Proceedings Act 2010:

Schedule 2

23  Saving

Despite the amendments made to paragraph 5(8)(d) and subsection 5(10) of the Foreign Judgments Act 1991 by this Schedule, those provisions, as in force immediately before commencement, continue to apply on and after commencement in relation to a judgment given before commencement.