What Happens If a Domestic Violence Complainant Fails to Attend Court?
Criminal defence lawyers are often asked what will happen if the complainant - also known as the alleged victim - in a case involving accusations of domestic violence fails to attend the Local Court on the ‘hearing date’, which is...
NSW Police Propose ‘Domestic Violence Diary’ App for Complainants to Record and Log Abuse
The NSW Police Force has recently unveiled an app they say is designed to assist victims to combat domestic violence by recording and logging alleged abuse, but there are concerns about whether this would make any real difference as well...
UK Proposes Legal Defence for Domestic Violence Victims Who Harm or Kill Their Partners
The United Kingdom is considering sentencing reforms which would provide a legal defence to victims of domestic violence who harm or kill their perpetrators after being subjected to sustained abuse. UK review The proposal comes in the wake of an...
Domestic Violence Blitz Raises Questions Regarding Lawfulness of Arrests
The New South Wales Police Force is boasting about the arrest of nearly 600 people during this week’s four-day operation targeting ‘domestic violence offences’. And as usual, the mainstream media is right behind them, labelling those arrested as ‘predators’ and...
UK Court Rules Suicide of Domestic Violence Victim an ‘Unlawful Killing’
A Coroner’s Court in the United Kingdom has determined that a woman who took her own life after domestic abuse, was ‘unlawfully killed.’ A previous inquest ruled the cause of Kellie Sutton’s death was suicide, after she was found unconscious...
‘Representations’ Can Result in Criminal Charges Being Withdrawn
Olympic boxer Harry Garside has a nervous wait ahead after his criminal defence lawyers told a court this week they have made formal representations to the New South Wales Police Force requesting that the domestic violence-related proceedings against their client...
Can a Social Media Post Amount to a Criminal Offence?
New South Wales politician Alex Greenwich MP has threatened a three-prong legal attack against former politician and One Nation candidate Mark Latham over a homophobic Tweet posted earlier this year. But the One Nation Leader remains resolute in his refusal...
Police May Use Serious Crime Prevention Orders to Combat Domestic Violence
As domestic violence offences continue to decimate families and communities across New South Wales, police are desperately seeking to find solutions which could assist with prevention, particularly in cases where there is an identified repeat offender. During a recent four-day,...
Employer-Paid Domestic Violence Leave is Now Available to Employees
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken to the airwaves to boast of his government’s passing of legislation which entitles those who are affected by domestic violence to up to 10 days of paid leave per year, replacing previous laws which...
Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme: The Right to Know or an Unjustified Intrusion on Privacy?
New South Wales residents may soon be able to call a hotline or access an online portal to check whether the person they claim to be their partner has a history of domestic violence. The proposal builds on a pilot...
