The new Queensland Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act takes effect on 17 September 2012.It was the last legislative Act of the Bligh government.
In the second reading speech on the legislation, the then Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women, the Hon Karen Struthers stated inter alia :
"The definition of domestic violence included in the bill is wider than the definition in the current domestic violence laws.It includes behaviour that is physically or sexually abusive; emotionally, psychologically or economically abusive; threatening or coercive; or behaviour that in any other way controls or dominates another person causing fear. By including this wider definition, the breadth of behaviours used to control and dominate in a relationship characterised by domestic violence will be captured. This means that police, magistrates, lawyers and members of the public will be more readily able to identify situations where domestic violence has occurred. This change is consistent with the views expressed during consultation and with the recommendations made by the Australian Law Reform Commission in its report FamilyViolence - a national legal response released in November 2010."
Mediators will need to be aware of the changes to Domestic Violence Legislation.
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