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📜 Criminal Laws (Domestic Violence) Amendment Bill 2016

Second reading not agreed toLABill 19611 May 2016Private Member

Amends several WA Acts to address domestic violence, including defining 'domestic violence offence', allowing offences to be recorded as such on criminal records, and increasing penalties for breaches of restraining orders and certain offences committed in a domestic context.

Impact

Victims of domestic violence will be affected positively through increased protections and stricter penalties for offenders. Offenders will face harsher consequences. Courts and legal professionals will need to adapt to the new definitions and procedures.

Key Changes

["Defines 'domestic violence offence' across multiple Acts.", "Allows prosecution notices and indictments to specify if an offence is also a domestic violence offence.", "Mandates recording convictions as domestic violence offences on criminal records under certain conditions.", "Increases penalties for breaches of violent restraining orders.", "Domestic violence victims automatically classified as special witness unless the court decides otherwise or the victim does not want to be declared as such."]