Law Reform: Domestic Violence

"National statistics about victims of a range of personal, household and family and domestic violence offences as recorded by police ... "

"Family, domestic and sexual violence is a major health and welfare issue in Australia. It occurs across all socioeconomic, demographic and age groups, but predominantly affects women and children ... "

"There were 88,377 offenders proceeded against by police for at least one family and domestic violence (FDV) related offence in 2022–23, up 6,504 offenders (or 8%) from 2021–22. This was a quarter (25%) of all offenders recorded nationally ... "

"Violence against women is now being recognised as a serious, widespread problem, with enormous social costs and individual and community impacts. In Australia, one in three women over the age of 15 years have experienced physical assault; over half of all women have experienced at least one incident of physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime ... "

"It is time to transform our pain into action. There can be no more excuses – that it is too hard, we don’t know what to do, it’s too complex. It is everyone’s responsibility to end the perpetration of violence against women and children, and all victims of gendered violence ... "

"Violence against women affects women’s well-being and prevents them from fully participating in society ... "

"Family, domestic and sexual violence is a major health, welfare and social issue. It affects people of all ages and from all backgrounds, but mainly women and children. This release was last updated 09/11/2022 and brings together a range of sources to report a core set of data in an interactive format, and summarise changes in measures of family, domestic and sexual violence over time ... "

"Following the tragic deaths of Hannah Clarke and her children in February, there has been significant discussion into how family violence can be prevented. This conversation is all the more important, with some even describing the current situation as a “tinderbox” for family violence owing to increased rates of unemployment and social isolation during the coronavirus outbreak ... "

" ... establishes two new information sharing orders to allow courts to quickly seek information from police, child protection and firearms agencies about family violence, child abuse and neglect that may place children at risk ... "

" The main objects of this Act are— (a) to maximise the safety, protection and wellbeing of people who fear or experience domestic violence, and to minimise disruption to their lives; and (b) to prevent or reduce domestic violence and the exposure of children to domestic violence; and (c) to ensure that people who commit domestic violence are held accountable for their actions ... "

"This paper provides an overview of the current state of domestic violence legislation in Australia, focusing particularly on the law relating to protection orders. It builds upon earlier works by legal scholars and researchers, identifying more recent substantive changes. Highlights of recent reforms in domestic violence protection order law will be considered, in particular, the move by law reformers towards expanded definitions of violence, availability of orders, emergency protections and recognition of the needs of children ... "

"As the state’s largest employer the Queensland Government makes an important contribution towards ending domestic and family violence, by supporting affected employees and creating a safe, respectful and supportive workplace culture ... "

"The Not now, not ever report made a range of recommendations to review and amend legislation to better protect victims of domestic and family violence (DFV) and hold perpetrators to account ... "

"A suite of domestic violence reforms passed in the Queensland parliament will strengthen protection for victims. The changes will expand the definition of domestic and family abuse to include a "pattern of behaviour" and will strengthen the offence of stalking ... "

"Despite law reforms intended explicitly to improve their prospects of receiving fairer consideration within the criminal justice system, it is still the case that most battered women accused of homicide are not successful in relying on self-defence. Defending battered women charged with homicide offers substantial challenges for defence lawyers ... "

"Violence against women both a crisis and a source of national shame - A lack of meaningful and effective leadership at the highest level of government on violence against women is the biggest barrier to achieving genuine reform ... "

"Doreen Langham has joined the tragic list of Queensland women who turned to the law for protection from partners they were afraid of and ended up dead. The 49-year-old is believed to have perished in a fire that engulfed her Logan townhouse on Monday morning. Autopsies are yet to confirm the identity of the two bodies, but police believe Ms Langham's burnt body was found along with her estranged husband ... "

" ... The purpose of this bench book is to provide a central resource for judicial officers considering legal issues relevant to domestic and family violence related cases that will contribute to harmonising the treatment of these cases across jurisdictions along broad principles and may assist them with decision-making and judgment writing ... "

"The Not now, not ever report made a range of recommendations to review and amend legislation to better protect victims of domestic and family violence (DFV) and hold perpetrators to account ... "

""Lawyers working on all sides of family, criminal and other parts of the law in Australia have personally seen and been affected by the impact and aftermath of our national family, domestic and sexual violence crisis. The faces and stories of the women, men and children who have been subjected to violence will never leave us ... "

"Changes to the Family Law Act were introduced primarily in response to recommendations made in the Australian Law Reform Commission’s Family Law for the Future: An Inquiry into the Family law System (ALRC Report 135, 2019) (‘ALRC Report’). The ALRC Report highlighted several problems with the family law system including: insufficient protection for people experiencing or at risk of family violence, significant court delays, and the legislation in this area was complicated and confusing ... "

"The parents of Hannah Clarke have welcomed new Queensland domestic violence reforms designed to better protect victims. Hannah Clarke was murdered along with her three children in 2020 when her estranged husband set fire to their car ... "