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FAMILY VIOLENCE ACT 2016

Table of Provisions

PART 1--PRELIMINARY

  • 1 Name of Act  
  • 3 Dictionary  
  • 4 Notes  
  • 5 Offences against Act—application of Criminal Code etc  

PART 2--OBJECTS AND IMPORTANT CONCEPTS

Division 2.1--Objects

  • 6 Objects of Act  
  • 7 How objects are to be achieved  

Division 2.2--Important concepts

  • 8 Meaning of family violence  
  • 9 Meaning of family member  
  • 10 Meaning of intimate partner  
  • 11 Meaning of relative  

Division 2.3--Other important matters

  • 12 Principle about procedures  
  • 13 Balance of probabilities  
  • 13A Rules of evidence  

PART 3--FAMILY VIOLENCE ORDERS

Division 3.1--Matters to be considered when making family violence orders

  • 14 Matters to be considered—family violence orders  
  • 15 Family Law Act order  

Division 3.2--Applications for protection orders

  • 16 Who may apply for protection orders?  
  • 16A Child may apply for protection order in same application as  
  • 16B Applications by police officers  
  • 17 Application forms that require affected person's address  
  • 18 What if application is made for the wrong order?  
  • 19 What if application for the wrong order is decided?  

Division 3.3--Interim orders

Subdivision 3.3.1--Making interim orders
  • 20 Interim orders—only on application for final order  
  • 21 Interim orders—grounds for making  
  • 22 Interim orders—general interim orders and special interim orders  
  • Subdivision 3.3.2--General interim orders
  • 23 General interim orders—only 1 may be made  
  • 24 General interim orders—length  
  • 25 General interim orders—ending  
  • 26 General interim orders—taken to be special interim orders if related charges laid  
  • 27 General interim orders—further orders  
  • 28 General interim orders—extension for non-service of  
  • 29 General interim orders—extension for non-service of final  
  • Subdivision 3.3.3--Special interim orders
  • 30 Special interim orders—ending  
  • 31 Special interim orders—application not to be decided until related charges  
  • 32 Special interim orders—final application decided  

Division 3.4--Consent orders

  • 33 Consent orders  
  • 33A Consent to interim order becoming final order  

Division 3.5--Final orders

  • 34 Final orders—grounds for making  
  • 35 Final orders—length  

Division 3.6--Conditions of family violence orders

  • 36 Safety of affected person and children paramount  
  • 37 Least restrictive principle  
  • 38 Conditions—general  
  • 39 Exclusion conditions  
  • 40 Personal property orders  
  • 41 Conditions—consent orders  
  • 42 Conditions may apply for shorter time than order  

Division 3.7--Effect of family violence orders

PART 4--PROCEDURAL MATTERS

Division 4.1--What Magistrates Court must do after receiving application for protection order

  • 45 Meaning of timing notice  
  • 46 Interim order not sought  
  • 47 Interim order sought  
  • 48 Service of application etc on others  

Division 4.2--Preliminary conferences

  • 49 Preliminary conferences—generally  
  • 50 Adjournment of preliminary conference for non-service  
  • 51 If no consent order at preliminary conference  

Division 4.2A--Non-attendance by party

  • 52 Meaning of returned before the court—div 4.2A  
  • 53 Applicant not present at return of application  
  • 54 Respondent not present at return of application  
  • 54A Neither party present at return of application  

Division 4.3--Hearings

  • 58 Hearings usually in public  
  • 59 Public hearing not required  
  • 60 Closed hearings in special circumstances  
  • 60A Notice of grounds of defence  
  • 60B Applicant may rely on additional information in hearing  
  • 60C If child and child's parent are affected people  
  • 60D Children as witnesses  
  • 61 Discontinuance  
  • 62 Admissibility of preliminary conference evidence  
  • 62A Giving evidence by affidavit for interim order  
  • 63 Examination of affected person by self-represented respondent  
  • 64 Undertakings by respondent  
  • 65 Court may inform itself  

Division 4.4--Making of protection orders

  • 66 Explaining orders if respondent present  
  • 67 Explaining orders if protected person present  
  • 68 Reasons for order  
  • 69 Orders generally not to include protected person's address  

Division 4.4A--Service of documents

  • 70A Personal service of application on respondent  
  • 70B Dismissal of application for non-service  
  • 70C Service of protection orders  
  • 70D Self-represented parties  
  • 70E Service of documents by police  
  • 70F Giving documents to child or child's parent or guardian  
  • 70G Affidavit of service of documents by police  

Division 4.5--Other procedural matters

  • 71 Police officer party to proceeding—substitution of applicant  
  • 71A Request for further particulars  
  • 73 Costs  

Division 4.6--Party with impaired decision-making ability

  • 74 Meaning of impaired decision-making ability  
  • 75 Child respondents  
  • 76 Representation—party with impaired decision-making ability  
  • 77 Consent orders—party with impaired decision-making ability  

Division 4.7--Appointment etc of litigation guardian

  • 78 Litigation guardian—appointment  
  • 79 Litigation guardian—powers  
  • 80 Litigation guardian—responsibilities  
  • 81 Litigation guardian—removal  

PART 5--AMENDMENT OF PROTECTION ORDERS

  • 82 Amendment of protection orders—who may apply  
  • 82A Preliminary conferences  
  • 83 Amendment of protection orders  
  • 84 Final orders—temporary amendment  
  • 85 General interim orders made by consent—extension  
  • 86 Final orders—extension  

PART 6--REVIEW OF ORDERS

  • 87 Special interim orders—application for review  
  • 88 Special interim orders—review  
  • 89 Final orders—application for review  
  • 90 Final orders—review  
  • 91 Consent orders—review  
  • 91A Preliminary conferences  
  • 92 Appealable decisions  
  • 93 Appeals to Supreme Court  
  • 95 Evidence on appeal  
  • 96 Powers of Supreme Court on appeal  
  • 97 Effect of filing appeal  

PART 7--AFTER-HOURS ORDERS

  • 98 Meaning of business hours—pt 7  
  • 99 Police officer may apply for after-hours order  
  • 100 After-hours orders—grounds for making  
  • 101 After-hours orders—application  
  • 102 After-hours orders—making  
  • 103 After-hours orders—refusal  
  • 104 After-hours orders—records  
  • 105 After-hours orders—detention of person against whom order sought  
  • 106 After-hours orders—length  
  • 107 After-hours orders—amendment or revocation  
  • 108 Service of after-hours orders  
  • 109 Police required to explain after-hours orders  
  • 110 Police to give reasons for not applying for after-hours order  

PART 8--COURT-INITIATED ACTIONS

  • 111 Application—pt 8  
  • 112 Court-initiated interim orders  
  • 113 Interim court-initiated protection order taken to be special interim  
  • 114 Amendment of existing protection order if later family violence  

PART 9--NATIONAL RECOGNITION OF FVOS

Division 9.1--Preliminary

  • 115 Definitions—pt 9  
  • 116 Meaning of family violence concern—pt 9  
  • 117 Meaning of properly notified—pt 9  
  • 118 Special provisions for registered foreign orders  

Division 9.2--National recognition of FVOs

Subdivision 9.2.1--General principles
  • 119 Recognition of FVOs  
  • 120 Amendment of FVOs  
  • 121 Revocation of recognised FVOs  
  • 122 Recognised FVO prevails over earlier comparable FVOs  
  • 123 Making new orders  
  • Subdivision 9.2.2--Enforcement of recognised FVOs
  • 124 Recognised FVOs and amendments are enforceable against respondent  
  • 125 Contravention of enforceable recognised FVOs  
  • Subdivision 9.2.3--Enforcement of non-local FVOs
  • 126 Non-local FVOs to be treated as local FVOs  
  • 127 Licences, permits and other authorisations  
  • 128 Recognition of disqualification to hold firearms licence  
  • 129 Recognition of disqualification to hold prohibited weapons permit  
  • 130 Costs—non-local FVO  

Division 9.3--Amendment and revocation of recognised non-local FVOs

  • 131 Meaning of court—div 9.3  
  • 132 Power of court to amend or revoke recognised non-local FVOs  
  • 133 Application for amendment or revocation of recognised non-local FVO  
  • 134 Decision about hearing of application  

Division 9.3A--Registration of foreign orders

  • 134A Applications for registration of foreign orders  
  • 134B Registration of foreign orders  

Division 9.4--Exchange of information

  • 135 Issuing authorities may obtain FVO information  
  • 136 Issuing authorities must provide FVO information  
  • 137 Law enforcement agencies may obtain FVO information  
  • 138 Information to be provided to law enforcement agencies  

Division 9.5--Other matters

  • 139 Certificate evidence—notification  

Division 9.6--Application of pt 9—existing protection orders

Subdivision 9.6.1--Preliminary
  • 140 Meaning of commencement day—div 9.6  
  • 141 Enforcement of FVOs under other provisions  
  • Subdivision 9.6.2--FVOs to which scheme applies
  • 142 FVOs made in the ACT  
  • 143 FVOs made in other jurisdictions  
  • Subdivision 9.6.3--Extension of scheme to older FVOs
  • 144 FVOs declared to be recognised FVOs  
  • 145 FVOs declared to be recognised in other jurisdictions before commencement  
  • Subdivision 9.6.4--Power to declare FVO to be recognised
  • 146 Power to declare FVO to be recognised  
  • 147 Application for order  
  • 148 Functions of registrar may be exercised by court  

PART 10--MISCELLANEOUS

Division 10.1--Public access and publication

  • 149 Publication of reports about proceedings—offence  
  • 150 Publication of reports about proceedings—exceptions to offence  

Division 10.2--Other matters

  • 151 Deciding application if criminal proceedings  
  • 152 Criminal and civil liability not affected by family violence orders  
  • 153 Crimes Act, s 397 (1)  
  • 154 Working out time if less than 5 days  
  • 155 Regulation-making power  
  • 156 Review of Act  

PART 23--TRANSITIONAL--JUSTICE (AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY) LEGISLATION AMENDMENT ACT 2023

Division 23.1--General

Division 23.2--Ending action etc for family violence orders

Division 23.3--Validity of past family violence order action

  • 217 Meaning of family violence order action—div 23.3  
  • 218 Past lawful acts not affected  
  • 219 Protection from liability  
  • 220 No entitlement to compensation etc  

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