Consultation on Domestic Violence Legislation
To: Union of Fathers
CONSULTATION ON PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE LEGISLATION
As part of its responsibility for administering the domestic violence legislation, the Ministry of Justice is working on identifying possible amendments to the legislation which would make its operation more efficient and effective. This project is not a review of the basic framework of the legislation (as that is considered to be generally sound) but is aimed at identifying particular areas that could be improved.
Since the implementation of the legislation the Ministry has collated a number of proposals for amendments, mainly from the Family Court Judiciary and members of the legal profession. The Ministry is now analysing these proposals and seeking input from other stakeholders about particular provisions in the legislation that could be improved.
We are therefore writing to invite you to submit to us in writing any proposed amendments that you believe could improve the operation of the legislation. Please forward your submission to:
Lois Holmes
Principal Adviser
Crime and Justice Policy Team
Ministry of Justice
P 0 Box 180 WELLINGTON
or
e mail to [email protected]
We would be grateful if you could forward to us any submission you may wish to make by 7 October 2005. If that is not possible please let us know. You can contact Lois Holmes on DDI 4949 734.
If the incoming Government agrees that this project remain on the Ministry work programme we aim to circulate a discussion document to the relevant stakeholders early next year to seek comment on the range of proposals raised, before proceeding to seek policy approval for amendments.
Yours sincerely
Victoria Crawford
Manager Crime and Justice Policy Team
I guess everyone is just too dumbfounded to comment?
This project is not a review of the basic framework of the legislation (as that is considered to be generally sound) but is aimed at identifying particular areas that could be improved.
Unless, of course, they mean in this sense:
sound· adj.
3 severe: a sound thrashing.
Comment by Alan Candy — Sun 18th September 2005 @ 11:30 pm
I think it is fair to say that both effectiveness and efficiency could be improved. Unfortunately though, the DoJ has so far either refused to publish relevant statistics or simply does not collect such details.
The least we could do is to propose that the DoJ collect statistical data. Here are some thoughts:
– Protection orders sought
– Protection orders granted
– Protection orders defended (successful/unsuccessful)
– Avg/Max/Min waiting time for a hearing
– Protection order violations (group by offenders with previous convictions and first offenders)
– Yearly spousal murder rates before and after introduction of the 1995 DV Act
These statistics need to reflect the type of protection order application: on-notice or without-notice, the type of the protection order: temporary, permanent and the gender of the applicant and respondent.
Comment by Pete Hug — Tue 20th September 2005 @ 9:26 am