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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3850 ..

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO THE

ACT COMMUNITY LAW REFORM COMMITTEE

Mr Speaker

I am pleased to respond to the findings and recommendations of the Community Law Reform Committee contained in Report No. 11 on Domestic Violence. The report arose from a formal reference given to the Committee in September 1991. The Government Response to the Committee's first report, Report No. 9 was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 23 August 1996. It was aimed at strengthening the criminal justice system response to domestic violence and providing a coordinated inter-agency response to this significant social problem. I am pleased to say that my Department has now progressed all the major reform initiatives and legislative proposals which arose from that Report. Report No. 11 was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on the 26 September 1996. It is the Committee's second report and it encompasses the first review of civil issues relating to domestic violence in the ACT since the Australian Law Reform Commission's Report in 1986.

You would also be aware, Mr Speaker, that since the release of the Report No. 11 on Domestic Violence, a Private Members Bill was introduced into the Legislative Assembly by Ms Tucker which sought to implement a number of the Report's recommendations. The Government supported the passage of the Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill (No. 3) 1997 through the Legislative Assembly. However, it recognised at the time that the Government Response would necessitate a further revision of some of the amendments that were passed. This revision proposed in the Government Response is, incidentally, also in keeping with the Committee's recommendations.

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