Page 651 - Week 02 - Thursday, 18 February 2016
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As part of the legal response to domestic and family violence, in 2015 I introduced the Crimes (Domestic and Family Violence) Legislation Amendment Bill. The amendments in that bill sought to provide a stronger legislative foundation to provide for an efficient and effective response to people experiencing or at risk of domestic and family violence. As part of that legislation, the special interim domestic violence order or DVO scheme was introduced. The special interim DVO scheme effectively stops the matter going to a contested DVO hearing where there are related and current criminal charges before the court.
Through regular consultation with stakeholders it was identified that the special interim order scheme could benefit from urgent minor amendments to allow administrative processes to apply to special interim DVOs prior to hearing in the same way they apply to the general DVOs. This bill makes the amendments necessary to support key agencies such as the courts and tribunal to administer domestic violence orders and better protect victims of domestic and family violence.
The government is committed to taking swift action where stakeholders identify urgent issues associated with legislation. This bill represents the coordinated efforts of agencies in promoting the protection of victims of domestic and family violence and working together to find solutions to operational issues.
The amendments in the bill have the primary aims of facilitating case management of domestic violence orders by the court and reducing red tape in the operation of domestic violence order schemes. It aligns those procedures that apply to all interim orders prior to contested hearings to ensure the same rules apply for case management, preliminary conferences, notice provisions and the endorsement of interim orders by respondents. Endorsement copies of DVOs are one way that the courts are able to efficiently operate their business and have advance notice of whether DVOs are consented to or objected to. The amendments act to reduce red tape and create a unified scheme for interim orders in the ACT.
Because the bill is technical in nature, primarily making red tape reduction amendments, it does not engage human rights. In saying that, the intention of the amendments is to support our comprehensive efforts to try to improve the ACT’s response to domestic family violence and so support the ACT government’s commitment to keeping our community safe. This bill makes sensible amendments to ensure our legislation works effectively, and I thank members for their support of the bill.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Bill agreed to in principle.
Leave granted to dispense with the detail stage.
Bill agreed to.
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