Indigenous Womens Justice Forum

1
Indigenous Womens Justice Forum
Family Violence Court Claire Brown, Court
Services March 2005
2
Family Violence Court Objectives

• Increase and promote applicant safety
• Simplify applicant access to the justice system
• Increase defendant accountability and encourage
  behaviour change
• Increase protection of affected children

3
Family Violence Court Key Elements

• Specialist Magistrates
• Opportunity to obtain legal advice
• Court Support Service
• Alternative means of giving evidence
  (CCTV/Support persons)
• Case consolidation and listing practices
• Restricted presence of children

4
Applicant Defendant Workers

• Help applicants and defendants navigate system
• initial risk screening
• information on legal and court processes and the
  role and implications of civil intervention
  orders
• identify special needs
• make contact between the interim order and the
  final hearing
• arrange and coordinate access to legal
  representation

5
Family Violence Court Counselling Programs

• Prevention focus targeting adult mens violence
  toward female intimate partners
• Court direction of men to family violence
  behaviour change counselling programs, with
  family violence support groups and services for
  the mens (former) partners and children
• Target of 480 adult men (120 places per court per
  year for two years)

6
Family Violence Court Counselling Programs
(cont)

• Will involve two new kinds of civil orders that
  are separate to an intervention order
• A court order directing men to an eligibility
  assessment interview conducted at court
• Defendant to be assessed as eligible unless
  considered unable or incapable of participating
  in counselling due to
• Character, personal history or language skills
• Disabilities
• Severe psychiatric or psychological conditions
• Alcohol or other drug problems
• Any other matters considered relevant

7
Family Violence Court Counselling Programs
Service Delivery Model

• Court directed counselling will include-
  Intensive Response Program- 20-session mens
  behaviour change group - Individual
  counselling- Ongoing change group (voluntary)
• Formal outreach to (former) partners and family
  members to ascertain safety
• Concurrent support programs for (former) partners
  and children

8
Family Violence Court Evaluation

• Process evaluation whether the FVC is being
  implemented in accordance with the aims, method,
  procedures and design.
• Outcome evaluation whether the FVC is effective
  in meeting its objectives.
• What is the learning?
• Are we doing things better?
• How can we replicate the observed enhancements
  across Victoria?