13 May 2025

Guy Barnett, Attorney-General

The Tasmanian Government is seeking public input on the proposed Family Violence (Miscellaneous Reforms) Bill 2025.

The Bill will amend the Family Violence Act 2004 and the Victims of Crime Assistance Act 1976 to improve Tasmania’s response to family violence.

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Guy Barnett, said these proposed reforms will ensure Tasmania’s justice system continues to provide stronger outcomes.

“The Tasmanian Government is continually seeking to improve our justice system and to better deal with family violence,” the Attorney-General said.

“The proposed amendments will work to establish a simple mechanism to revoke orders where a family violence victim is mistakenly viewed as a perpetrator.

“These proposed reforms will improve the safety of victim-survivors of family violence, hold perpetrators of family violence to account, and enhance the responsiveness of the justice system.

“Through our 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future we will continue to work to improve outcomes for all Tasmanians.”

Importantly the Bill seeks to make the following amendments:

  • amend the Family Violence Act 2004 to provide the Commissioner of Police, or an authorised police officer of the rank of inspector or above, with the power to vary or revoke a Police Family Violence Order (PFVOs) in prescribed circumstances; such as when a victim has been misidentified as the perpetrator;
  • extend the ‘limitation period’ from 6 to 12 months for commencing prosecutions for breach of a PFVO, Family Violence Order (FVO) or an interim FVO (IFVO);
  • amend section 8 of the Victims of Crimes Assistance Act 1976 to improve provisions for the confidentiality of material gathered in determining applications for assistance to victims, while enabling publication of material in limited circumstances, such as deidentified law reports or for research purposes.

Through the Tasmanian Government’s 2030 Strong Plan for Tasmania’s Future, we will continue to ensure legislation is fit-for-purpose to safeguard Tasmania’s most vulnerable.

A copy of the Bill and details on how to make a submission are available on the Department of Justice website.

Public submissions can be received until midnight on 1 June 2025.