Rules of the Family Court of Australia

      The approval of the Court is required before any 'special' medical procedure (as defined in the Rules of the Family Court of Australia) is undertaken on a child when such procedures may be intrusive and irreversible. Therefore, primary dispute-resolution strategies cannot be used to bypass or avoid this requirement. A negotiated settlement that does not require approval by the Court can only involve non-intrusive and reversible alternatives. Considering these facts module, discuss: • How should a healthcare practitioner assess the competence of a child to give consent to a medical procedure?