The Case Management Handbook was prepared by members of the federal litigation section of the Law Council of Australia (LCA) in conjunction with the Federal Court of Australia and contains information, guidance, ideas and suggestions about the tools and techniques available for use in court.

The Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, Patrick Keane, said the handbook attempts to address two principal criticisms of the legal system - delay and expense.

"The handbook provides guidance on how delays can be minimised, particularly through the early identification of issues of fact and law, and on the best ways to ensure litigants get value for money," he said,

"The handbook contains a wealth of information, guidance, ideas and suggestions about tools and techniques available in the court based on the experiences of both judges and practitioners. Its use will help to ensure that judges and practitioners serve litigants well and also that practitioners will enjoy to the fullest the interesting work of the court."

LCA president Alexander Ward said the handbook represents a positive step forward for everyone involved in Federal Court proceedings.

"I commend the Federal Court of Australia and the Law Council's Federal Litigation Section for their work on this project -- the handbook will serve as an extremely useful tool for many years to come," he said.