In the past, the Australian courts 法庭 have granted permission for people to be served 送达 with legally binding papers 法律文件 via email or even text message but this is the first time they've allowed the use of the social networking site 社交网络, Facebook.

Lawyers 律师 wanted to notify a couple that they'd lost their house after defaulting 拖欠 on a loan 贷款债务 but failed to reach them at their home address or through email.

When the couple failed to turn up 出席 for a court appearance the lawyer, Mark McCormack, decided to use what he's described as a "somewhat novel 新颖的 approach" and served the papers via the woman's Facebook page, where the man was listed as her friend.

In granting permission to use the social networking site the judge made a key stipulation 关键性约定: that the papers be sent via a private email so that other people visiting the page could not read their contents.