Community Welfare Act 1983
Details
The Community Welfare Act 1983 (Act No. 76/1983) was assented to on 28 November 1983 and commenced on 20 April 1984. It was repealed by the Care and Protection of Children Act 2007 (Act no. 37/2007) on 8 December 2008. The Community Welfare Act 1983 introduced the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle. To act in accordance with the welfare of the child the Minister was expected to take this principle into account and, where possible, arrange custody within the child's extended family.
The Community Welfare Act 1983 established a new Family Matters Court in the NT.
The Community Welfare Act was introduced at the same time as the Juvenile Justice Act 1983 - these laws marked a change in philosophy separating the criminal and welfare jurisdictions relating to young people in the Northern Territory.
1910 - 1918 Northern Territory Aboriginals Act 1910
1918 - 1953 Aboriginals Ordinance 1918
1895 - 1959 The State Children Act 1895
1957 - 1964 Welfare Ordinance 1953
1959 - 1984 Child Welfare Ordinance 1958
1964 - 1984 Social Welfare Ordinance 1964
1984 - 2008 Community Welfare Act 1983
2008 - Care and Protection of Children Act 2007
Sources used to compile this entry: 'Northern Territory: Legislation', in To remove and protect: laws that changed Aboriginal lives, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, 2008, https://aiatsis.gov.au/collection/featured-collections/remove-and-protect; Community Welfare Act 1983 [Document]; Law Research Service, Melbourne Law School, Law Library, The University of Melbourne. 'Find and Connect Project - Northern Territory Legislation', 1 February 2013, held in the project files at the University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre.
Prepared by: Karen George and Gary George
Created: 9 February 2011, Last modified: 13 September 2018
Last updated: 13 January 2023
Cite this: https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/nt/biogs/YE00044b.htm
First published by the Find & Connect Web Resource Project for the Commonwealth of Australia, 2011
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