Page 2280 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 5 August 2015
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(b) on 25 June 2015 the Attorney-General noted calls from stakeholders to establish a dedicated Domestic Violence Court;
(c) that, notwithstanding the Courts Legislation Amendment Act 2011 giving the legislative framework for a Family Violence Court, the management of the Family Violence list is not facilitated as a full-time Domestic Violence Court at present; and
(d) that stakeholders have called for a Domestic Violence Court with full-time staff to attend with applications, breaches of orders, hearing of contested matters, sentencing and all matters dealing with domestic violence; and
(2) calls on the ACT government to establish a full-time Domestic Violence Court.
It is estimated that about 1.6 million Australian women have experienced domestic violence in some form. In Australia, around one in three women has experienced physical violence and almost one in five has experienced sexual violence since the age of 15. As we all know, and it has been the subject of debate in this place, domestic violence is an ongoing issue in the ACT.
ACT police have attended an average of almost seven family violence related incidents a day in Canberra in the past year. The Chief Police Officer reported that more than 1,200 incidents have already been reported to ACT Policing this year alone—and 2,489 cases in the past 12 months. While family violence often constitutes verbal or emotional abuse, assault or humiliation, there are less obvious acts, including control over finances and damage to sentimental property. The majority of these matters can come before the courts.
It is pleasing to me that we have had, in the main, a bipartisan approach to this issue. In March 2015, the Assembly agreed to an approach to taking steps towards tackling domestic violence in the ACT. That resulted in a roundtable that I know a number of members here attended. It was aimed at producing better outcomes for victims of family violence and helping to reduce the damaging intergenerational and societal effects that family violence causes.
There were literally dozens of people who were working at the coalface tackling domestic violence at that roundtable, sharing their knowledge. It was a useful exercise. The panel heard, and people have been discussing the issue, that creating a specialised domestic violence court focusing on victim welfare could help address what has been described as the “most important social issue in Australia”. ACT Victims of Crime Commissioner Mr John Hinchey, Australian Federal Police officer Jo Cameron, Domestic Violence Crisis Service executive director Mirjana Wilson and YWCA Canberra CEO Frances Crimmins were on the forum’s panel.
I will just go through some of the comments that have been made by people on the front line with regard to this issue. It is very important that the steps that are taken towards combating domestic violence in this town come from the bottom up. I know that the government has taken steps in this regard; I know that it has been listening. I know that the roundtable has produced a report for the government. But on 17 June 2015 the Canberra Times reported:
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