Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.102
The committee recommends that the federal government works with stakeholders, in particular state and territory public prosecutors, legal assistance providers, and state and territory law enforcement agencies, to ensure that anticipated complexities and potential inconsistencies arising from the concurrent operation of federal family violence orders (FFVOs) and state and territory protection orders are resolved prior to implementation of the FFVO scheme, that is, after the bill is passed but before the relevant provisions of the Act come into force.

Recommendation 2

2.104
The committee recommends that the federal government considers explicit safeguards or other implementation measures against systems abuse through the use of federal family violence orders.

Recommendation 3

2.106
The committee recommends that the federal government considers the accessibility of federal family violence orders for applicants located in regional and remote areas, and possible remedies where accessibility is difficult.

Recommendation 4

2.108
Subject to the preceding recommendations, the committee recommends that the Senate passes the bill.

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About this inquiry

The bill would amend the Family Law Act 1975 to establish new federal family violence orders which, if breached, could be criminally enforced. The bill would allow a listed court to make a federal family violence order where the court is satisfied that a person has been or there are reasonable grounds to suspect that it is likely that they will be subjected to family violence or, in the case of children, the child has been or there are reasonable grounds to suspect that it is likely that they will be subjected or exposed to family violence.



Past Public Hearings

14 Jul 2021: Canberra