Legal Studies Domestic Violence HSC paper
Evaluate the effectiveness of the law in protecting victims of domestic violence
The Australian Law Reform Commission stated that assault occurring in the home is not a private matter but one that is of concern for the community as a whole. According to Section 11 of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW), domestic violence is a “personal violence committed against someone with whom the offender has, or has had, a domestic relationship with”. Further, the act does not stipulate a time limit for these relationships, and is so broad it incorporates almost every foreseeable domestic relation. Changing attitudes towards domestic violence has seen the law introduce legislation and mechanisms such as ADVO’s that aim to protect the parties to a domestic relationship. Additionally the law has reformed several concepts and legislation in order to uphold the protection of victims, with some states introducing mandatory counselling. There is justified debate regarding the effectiveness of these legal avenues in protecting victims of domestic violence; debate raised by varied sources such as the Department Of Community Services, and other similar bodies.
Recent educational campaigns have raised community awareness of domestic violence as an important social issue, and helped the community understand that domestic violence is not a private affair. This has been facilitated by the promotion of figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2010- that 40 percent of all assaults were domestic violence related. The local Court has legally enforced Apprehended Domestic Violence Order’s (ADVO’s), which aim to reduce the incidence of domestic violence. One advantage of these orders, which correlates to their effectiveness, is that they are a quick, inexpensive and accessible form of protection, and they are complemented and supported by the full weight of criminal law if they are breached. However, according to a media article published in a 2008
The Australian Law Reform Commission stated that assault occurring in the home is not a private matter but one that is of concern for the community as a whole. According to Section 11 of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW), domestic violence is a “personal violence committed against someone with whom the offender has, or has had, a domestic relationship with”. Further, the act does not stipulate a time limit for these relationships, and is so broad it incorporates almost every foreseeable domestic relation. Changing attitudes towards domestic violence has seen the law introduce legislation and mechanisms such as ADVO’s that aim to protect the parties to a domestic relationship. Additionally the law has reformed several concepts and legislation in order to uphold the protection of victims, with some states introducing mandatory counselling. There is justified debate regarding the effectiveness of these legal avenues in protecting victims of domestic violence; debate raised by varied sources such as the Department Of Community Services, and other similar bodies.
Recent educational campaigns have raised community awareness of domestic violence as an important social issue, and helped the community understand that domestic violence is not a private affair. This has been facilitated by the promotion of figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2010- that 40 percent of all assaults were domestic violence related. The local Court has legally enforced Apprehended Domestic Violence Order’s (ADVO’s), which aim to reduce the incidence of domestic violence. One advantage of these orders, which correlates to their effectiveness, is that they are a quick, inexpensive and accessible form of protection, and they are complemented and supported by the full weight of criminal law if they are breached. However, according to a media article published in a 2008