A jurisdictional collision? Responses to family violence and family law in the ACT

Abstract

There has long been concern about the dynamics and inadequacies that may arise when the federal family law system intersects with state and territory civil responses to family violence. We explore the intersection of these two legal regimes in this article. Our findings are part of a larger project examining the Family Violence Act 2016 (ACT) that included interviewing both professional stakeholders and those with lived experience. Findings include a number of ways in which the safety of victim/survivors and their children could be jeopardised (or placed at risk) due to disharmony and communication issues between the two regimes.