Review of the Domestic Violence Act 1995

The Ministry of Justice is carrying out a review of the Domestic Violence Act 1995 and its associated Regulations to identify any changes that would make the legislation more effective.

The Domestic Violence Act 1995 creates a framework for providing legal protection to victims of domestic violence in order to prevent further violence. The Act also places importance on the value of education in preventing violence.

The Ministry of Justice have monitored the working of the Domestic Violence Act during the ten years it has been in force to obtain an up-to-date picture of how the legislation is working. They say that most people support the principles and framework of the Act, and there has been no indication over the years that a more fundamental review is warranted. Therefore, the present review takes an “issues-based” approach.

The discussion document released today provides the information to guide the feedback from interested parties. The document can be downloaded from the Ministry of Justice website at http://www.justice.govt.nz/pubs/reports/2007/domestic-violence-act-revie...

All submissions are due to the Ministry of Justice by Monday 28 January 2008.