On 12 May 2020, the WA Attorney General together with the Minister for Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence, announced that victims of family violence are now able to apply for restraining orders online.
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COVID-19 aggravates domestic violence concerns
‘You are not stuck at home; you are safe at home’. This phrase has been circulating social media in an effort to generate a positive attitude towards isolation measures. Shifting to an outlook of gratitude will help to raise morale while we self-isolate and navigate through this pandemic.
However, this phrase is not applicable to those who are fighting the pandemic of domestic violence. While social isolation seeks to protect us from COVID-19, it simultaneously acts as a dangerous catalyst for victims of violence.
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Two steps forward one step back for victims of Family Violence
The government has recently proposed a number of changes which affect victims of family violence.
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Cross-examination ban for alleged perpetrators of domestic violence
Draft legislation has been released by the Federal Government that would protect victims of family violence from being questioned in court by their alleged attackers.
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Domestic violence offenders may no longer avoid jail in WA
Last week WA’s Attorney-General Michael Mischin announced that Western Australia’s system for dealing with perpetrators of domestic violence will move closer to Victoria’s system. This change will see the closure of the state’s ‘domestic violence courts’ and will mean that perpetrators are less likely to avoid jail time. The domestic violence courts allowed offenders who pleaded guilty to opt for attendance in programs that were designed to help change their behaviour in an attempt to lower the rates of reoffending.
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