Coercive Control Law One Step Closer

• First phase of Taskforce Domestic and Family Violence law amendments take effect.
• Strengthening existing systems in preparation for the new coercive control law.
• The Palaszczuk Government is committed to introducing legislation to establish the criminal offence of coercive control by the end of 2023.

The first tranche of legislative amendments, paving the way towards a new stand-alone coercive control domestic violence offence, take effect from today.

These amendments strengthen existing legislation to respond better to coercive control through a shift from focusing on responding to single incidents of violence to focusing on the pattern of abusive behaviour that occurs over time.

Amendments will also deliver on reforms that have been long advocated for by sexual assault survivors to describe offences more appropriately against children to remove any implication of a consenting sexual “relationship”.

The Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce recommended a staged approach to implementing this systemic reform, which the Government has adopted.

The reforms are being supported by training for justice agencies, information to raise awareness within the community, increased resourcing, and development of new programs to hold perpetrators to account.

Quotes attributable to Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Yvette D’Ath:

“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to ending all forms of domestic and family violence.

“That’s why we allocated $363 million to support the implementation response to the Taskforce’s first report and $225 million for the Taskforce’s second report as part of a $1.5 billion spend since 2015 on working to end domestic, family and sexual violence.

“The first tranche of amendments helps all stakeholders, including the courts, to better prepare for identifying and responding to the patterned nature of coercive control, before the new coercive control offence is introduced.

“This lays a strong foundation for all parties involved in the prevention of domestic and family violence to understand and maximise their effectiveness moving forward.

“We will continue to foster raising awareness about coercive control and its role in domestic and family violence so the community as a whole, and justice system specifically, can reduce its impact and better lives.”

ENDS