Activity details
Enabling Court Mandated Counselling Orders to be made from 13 courts from 2023 upon finalisation of a Family Violence Intervention Order. This will be increased with the expansion of Specialist Family Violence Courts through to 2025. Planning to incorporate behaviour change programs for diverse cohorts is under consideration.
This activity is part of a broader activity to enhance the safety and improve court user experiences for victim-survivors.
Implementation progress update
In November 2024, the Magistrates' Court of Victoria announced a suite of innovative new programs to be delivered under the Court Mandated Counselling Orders Program. Under Victorian legislation, a magistrate can order a respondent to a final family violence intervention order to attend counselling for the purposes of increasing the respondent's accountability for the violence they have used against a family member, and encouraging the respondent to change their behaviour.
The new programs aim to increase participation and completion rates for respondents ordered to attend counselling, by adopting a more tailored, sustainable and inclusive approach. Counselling orders can be made at all 13 Specialist Family Violence Courts.
More information
- Learn about the National Plan to End Violence against women and children 2022-2032.
- Read the First Action Plan 2023-2027.
- Browse the First Action Plan 2023-2027 Activities Addendum update.