The High Court rejected a bid by four sisters seeking their own legal representation in respect of family law parenting proceedings involving their Australian mother and Italian father.

The matter became highly publicised in the media. The children went into hiding after the Family Court of Australia made an order that they return to Italy to enable the parenting dispute to be decided in Italy.

Lawyers for the children argued that they should be allowed their own independent legal representation, and that under the existing laws they would be denied natural justice by not having a say in their removal from Australia.

“The court is of the opinion that the challenge fails”, Chief Justice Robert French said after the hearing concluded in Canberra.

The matter has been remitted to the Family Court of Australia.