Further Legislative changes to enhance perpetrator accountability

The Domestic and Family Violence Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (the Bill) was introduced to parliament in April 2025. The Bill was referred to the Education, Arts and Communities Committee for detailed consideration. The committee received a 75 submissions and held public hearings in Mackay, Cairns and Brisbane. On 20 June 2025, the Committee tabled Report No. 5, 58th Parliament Domestic and Family Violence Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 recommending that the bill be passed. 

The objectives of the Bill: 

• establish a framework for police protection directions to improve efficiencies for police responding to DFV by empowering them to issue immediate long-term protection directions without filing a court application, providing immediate long-term protection to victim-survivors and reducing trauma through exposure to judicial processes
• support an electronic monitoring pilot for high-risk DFV perpetrators, with devices to operate 24/7 and alerts to be monitored and responded to
• simplify, streamline and expand the VREC framework to all Magistrates Courts in Queensland to support victim-survivors when giving evidence, including clarification that a VREC statement can be considered in civil proceedings
• make other technical amendments to strengthen the maintenance of the Approved Provider List, which is used by courts when making an intervention order that requires a respondent to attend an approved intervention program or counselling facilitated by an approved provider.