Defence provides legal advice, services and support on all aspects of law and the management of legal affairs related to the Australian Defence Force (ADF), the Minister of Defence and the Department of Defence.
Accurate and timely legal advice is vital to the effectiveness of the ADF and to prudent management and administration of the Defence enterprise as a whole.
Court orders
Defence is responsible for production of documents in response to court orders or legislative requests for criminal and civil matters.
Court orders for production of documents include subpoenas, notices to produce, notices for non-party production and summons issued by a court or tribunal, including Coroners Courts, Commissions or Inquiries.
For more information review the Court orders page.
Personal injury claims
Lawyers acting on behalf of an individual to obtain their information under relevant personal injuries or workers’ compensation legislation need to send the request, and a current signed authority to defencelegal.litigation@defence.gov.au.
Compensation for Detriment Caused by Defective Administration Scheme
The Compensation for Detriment Caused by Defective Administration Scheme (CDDA Scheme) allows non-corporate Commonwealth entities to pay compensation when a person or organisation has suffered detriment as a result of the entity's defective administration.
Defence related CDDA Scheme claims, including claims relating to the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefits (DFRDB) Scheme, can be submitted by sending the completed application form to dl.deldc@defence.gov.au.
General CDDA application form (PDF, 171.52 KB)
DFRDB CDDA application form (PDF, 245.05 KB)
Section 73 Public Service Act 1973
Australian Public Service employees can apply for a payment for special circumstances related to their Defence employment under section 73 Public Service Act 1973.
Enquiries and applications can be submitted to dl.deldc@defence.gov.au.
Act of Grace payment
The Department of Finance can be asked to make an Act of Grace payment under section 65 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
Application forms are available on the Department of Finance Act of Grace payments page.