INTERVENTION ORDERS

In reply to Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (22 June 2012) (Estimates Committee B).

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Small Business): The Attorney-General has been advised:

1. The Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) Act 2009 commenced operation on 9 December 2011.

Prior to 9 December 2011, the state courts could make restraining orders pursuant to section 99 (repealed) of the Summary Procedures Act 1921 and domestic violence restraining orders pursuant to the Domestic Violence Act 1994 (repealed). The following provides the number of these orders made by the state courts per financial year from 1 July 2007 until the commencement of the Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) Act 2009. The number of restraining orders and domestic violence restraining orders made to the year ending 30 June 2007 is not available as the reporting repository that stores this data does not contain information more than five years old.

The number of restraining orders and domestic violence restraining orders made for the period 1 July 2011 to 8 December 2011 is higher than the previous financial year. This is in line with the annual increases in orders made since 1 July 2009.

Since the commencement of the Intervention Orders (Prevention of Abuse) Act 2009, there has been a further significant increase in the number of intervention orders made. The following data sets out:

Interim intervention orders issued by police and lodged with the court and interim intervention orders made by the court from 9 December 2011 to 30 June 2012 which were finalised during that period without an intervention order remaining in place (referred to as 'other interim orders' in the table below);

Interim intervention orders issued by police and lodged with the court or ordered by the court which remained in place as at 30 June 2012; and

Final intervention orders made by the court from 9 December 2011 to 30 June 2012.

The number of current interim intervention orders and final intervention orders made as at 30 June 2012 represents a 60 per cent increase on the number of restraining orders and domestic violence restraining orders made in the previous financial year.