The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold a public hearing on Friday, 11 October 2024 to further inform its inquiry into family violence orders (FVOs).

Media release issue date: Thursday, 10 October 2024

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold a public hearing on Friday, 11 October 2024 to further inform its inquiry into family violence orders (FVOs). Chair of the Committee, Ms Susan Templeman MP, said “The Committee will seek evidence from the Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Social Services about current measures and opportunities to better protect and support victim-survivors of family violence as they navigate the family law system.” “The risk of aggressive and violent behaviours of perpetrators of family violence towards partners and children escalates during and after relationship breakdown, including during family court proceedings. Areas for improvement that have been identified by the Attorney-General’s Department include inconsistencies in FVO frameworks across jurisdictions and addressing cultural barriers and biases in the police and justice systems about family violence, including awareness and recognition of coercive control.” “The hearing will also provide the opportunity for the Committee to examine the unique features and limitations of the Western Australian family law system, including the capacity of the Family Court of Western Australia to make enforceable family violence orders,” Ms Templeman said. Public hearings details Date: Friday, 11 October 2024 Time: 12:50pm to 3:00pm AEDT Location: Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House, Canberra and via videoconference Appearing: Western Australian Government (12:50pm – 1:30pm); Attorney-General’s Department and the Department of Social Services (1:30pm – 3:00pm). The hearing will be live streamed on the APH website: www.aph.gov.au/live. Further details about the inquiry, including published submissions and transcripts of previous hearings, are available on the inquiry webpage at www.aph.gov.au/familyviolenceorders. Media inquiries Ms Susan Templeman MP Susan.Templeman.MP@aph.gov.au Charlotte Kennedy-Cox 0419 268 918 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2358 spla.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website: www.aph.gov.au/spla. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold public hearings on Friday, 23 August 2024 and Friday, 30 August 2024 to further inform its inquiry into family violence orders.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 22 August 2024

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will hold public hearings on Friday, 23 August 2024 and Friday, 30 August 2024 to further inform its inquiry into family violence orders. Chair of the Committee, Ms Susan Templeman MP, said ‘While important changes to the family law system came into effect in May this year to ensure the safety of children is at the heart of every decision relating to parenting orders, we have heard there is more still to be done. These public hearings provide an opportunity to explore what the Australian Government can do to provide better access to family violence orders (FVO) and the effective enforcement of them.’ ‘Family violence orders do not always serve their intended function of ensuring the safety of victim-survivors, for a range of reasons.’ ‘In these hearings, the Committee will hear from advocacy groups, legal professionals and researchers to better understand the measures that are needed to keep victim-survivors safe. We are also interested in exploring how FVOs could be more accessible for victims of violence going through the family law system,’ Ms Templeman said. Public hearings details Date: Friday, 23 August 2024 Time: 9:00 am to 2:00 pm AEST Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra and via videoconference Date: Friday, 30 August 2024 Time: 10:30 am to 4:00 pm AEST Location: via videoconference The hearings will be live streamed on the APH website: www.aph.gov.au/live. Further details about the inquiry, including published submissions and hearing programs, are available on the inquiry webpage at www.aph.gov.au/familyviolenceorders. Media inquiries Ms Susan Templeman MP Susan.Templeman.MP@aph.gov.au (Mark Andrews 0417 024 890) For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2358 spla.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website: www.aph.gov.au/spla. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. 

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has launched an inquiry into access to family violence orders for victim-survivors in the family law system.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 5 June 2024

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs has today launched an inquiry into access to family violence orders for victim-survivors in the family law system. Chair of the Committee, Ms Susan Templeman MP, said “the Committee is seeking written submissions with ideas for how the Australian Government can provide better access to family violence orders for victim-survivors in the family law system, how those orders can be better enforced, and what supports are needed.” “There have been many inquiries into family violence and the Committee does not intend to revisit findings of other reviews. This inquiry has a narrow focus on what we can do at a federal level to make applying for orders easier for victims already negotiating the family law system and how we can make those orders more effective in keeping families safe,” Ms Templeman said. Parliamentary committees cannot investigate or assist with individual cases, particularly those that are, or may be, before the courts. The Committee will consider publishing personal contributions if they inform the terms of reference, focus on systemic issues or ideas for improving the system, and do not identify anybody or their personal circumstances. The Committee will not be publishing contributions that provide personal details or include information relating to individual cases or court orders. However, it may receive personal submissions as confidential evidence if they inform how the system and supports for victim-survivors can be improved. Written submissions are requested by Friday, 19 July 2024 and can be submitted via the inquiry website or emailed directly to the secretariat. Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference, is available on the inquiry webpage at www.aph.gov.au/familyviolenceorders. Media inquiries Ms Susan Templeman MP Susan.Templeman.MP@aph.gov.au (Mark Andrews 0417 024 890) For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2358 spla.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website: www.aph.gov.au/spla. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.