Federal Court Chief Justice Debra Mortimer has been accused of improperly intervening in a political debate, after she made, and then withdrew, a submission to an independent review into the performance and structure of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

The submission triggered a stand-off with FCFCOA Chief Justice Will Alstergren, who expressed “serious concerns” about its nature and content to the reviewers and Mortimer before it was withdrawn.