Mr WOOD on behalf of Mrs BRAHAM - 2003-04-30
My question is on behalf of yourself, Madam Speaker, as member for Braitling. In the Legislative Assembly 15 months ago, during a debate on violence against Aboriginal women, you said a review was being carried out of the no-drop policy and it would be finished soon. This policy ensures that a prosecution is not dropped because a victim withdraws a complaint. Can the Chief Minister outline the results of that review, and tell the House what changes, if any, have been made to the no-drop policy?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, thank you for your question.
Madam SPEAKER: I advise people in the gallery that, as the Speaker, I do not get to ask questions from the Chair, so I pass them on to other members to do so on my behalf.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, in 2002 a review was conducted by a consultant for the Department of Justice on the no-drop policy. The no-drop policy is a policy adopted by prosecution agencies to ensure that criminal charges that arise out of a domestic or family violence incident are pursued despite any requests from the victim for the withdrawal of those charges.
It is an important issue and one that needed review, and it was raised in that debate. The review was conducted by a consultant last year. Copies of the review were made available to the public and a range of stakeholder groups. After those copies were made available, further submissions were called for. A number of submissions on the review were received late in 2002 and early this year. These came from a range of government and non-government agencies involved in the criminal justice process.
The review raised a whole range of issues in relation to the prosecution of offences - not just the no-drop policy, but a range of issues arising out of domestic and family violence incidents. Subsequent submissions to the review further elaborated on that. The issues, as I said, were not simply confined to the no-drop or the pro-arrest policies. The Department of Justice is in the process of developing a policy advice document, which covers those two policies as well as this wider range of issues.
The review found that there is a need for a more comprehensive policy concerning the prosecution of criminal offences relating to domestic and family violence, and that it was more important to have a coordinated response to that violence than just deal with a no-drop or pro-arrest policy.
We will be moving further on that, Madam Speaker, and I will be keeping the House informed, and thank you for the question.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, thank you for your question.
Madam SPEAKER: I advise people in the gallery that, as the Speaker, I do not get to ask questions from the Chair, so I pass them on to other members to do so on my behalf.
Ms MARTIN: Madam Speaker, in 2002 a review was conducted by a consultant for the Department of Justice on the no-drop policy. The no-drop policy is a policy adopted by prosecution agencies to ensure that criminal charges that arise out of a domestic or family violence incident are pursued despite any requests from the victim for the withdrawal of those charges.
It is an important issue and one that needed review, and it was raised in that debate. The review was conducted by a consultant last year. Copies of the review were made available to the public and a range of stakeholder groups. After those copies were made available, further submissions were called for. A number of submissions on the review were received late in 2002 and early this year. These came from a range of government and non-government agencies involved in the criminal justice process.
The review raised a whole range of issues in relation to the prosecution of offences - not just the no-drop policy, but a range of issues arising out of domestic and family violence incidents. Subsequent submissions to the review further elaborated on that. The issues, as I said, were not simply confined to the no-drop or the pro-arrest policies. The Department of Justice is in the process of developing a policy advice document, which covers those two policies as well as this wider range of issues.
The review found that there is a need for a more comprehensive policy concerning the prosecution of criminal offences relating to domestic and family violence, and that it was more important to have a coordinated response to that violence than just deal with a no-drop or pro-arrest policy.
We will be moving further on that, Madam Speaker, and I will be keeping the House informed, and thank you for the question.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016