Professional stakeholders' views of the Family Violence Act 2016 (ACT): Has law reform achieved its primary aims?

Abstract

The Family Violence Act 2016 (ACT) represents the Australian Capital Territory government’s legislative response to issues of family violence (‘FV’). While the Act aimed to better safeguard those experiencing FV, it is yet to be seen whether those amendments are effective and/or operating as intended. Through interviews with a range of professional stakeholders working at the coalface of FV issues, this paper shows that, while some improvements have been made, there remain issues with the ambiguity of provisions, the scope of the people and abusive behaviours protected under the Act, the lack of police enforcement, information-sharing and inter-agency communication, and adequate resourcing. Suggestions are made for improving the Act and its implementation.