Australian judges and legal professionals now have access to a new version of the National Domestic and Family Violence Bench Book – an online resource to improve judicial understanding of family violence.
TC Beirne School of Law’s Professor Heather Douglas, whose research has contributed to the introduction of non-fatal strangulation law in Queensland, said the original 2016 version had been fully updated including new research and information around abuse of older people.
Professor Douglas said the resource aimed to improve consistency in decision-making in the courts.
“The bench book provides a central resource for judicial officers considering legal issues relevant to domestic and family violence related cases,” she said.
“There is no single ‘family violence law’ in Australia, and a range of legal responses may be applicable in cases where domestic and family violence is involved.
“Family law is just one of the legal responses that may be relevant in cases where there is family violence.”
In addition to judges, the book is aimed at professionals and service providers working with victims and perpetrators of domestic and family violence.
Over the past year the bench book has been used as the central resource for National Judicial Council’s training program for judges.
The National Domestic and Family Violence Bench Book is available here: http://dfvbenchbook.aija.org.au/
The book is funded by the Attorney General’s Department and Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration.
Contact: Professor Heather Douglas, h.douglas@law.uq.edu.au or +61 7 3365 6605.
