National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges - Unpublished.

This report examines at the operation of the Domestic Violence Act (1995) and, in particular, current issues related to protection orders. A range of data is utilised in the report, including interviews with domestic violence advocates from around New Zealand; a survey of members of the National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges; family violence statistics from courts, the Police and Women's Refuge; and five case studies of women who have experienced family violence. The report aims to highlight advocates' concerns about how the Domestic Violence Act is being implemented by a range of agencies 10 years after it was passed into law. The report considers the objective and aims of the Domestic Violence Act, and uses these to examine current practice, arguing that some victims of domestic violence have a lack of confidence in the justice system. The central points of concern outlined in the report are: that fewer protection orders are being issued, with more orders than before being put 'on notice'; the cost of gaining a protection order is prohibitive; there is a minimisation of violence and victim-blaming within the justice system; delays in gaining protection are putting those who have experienced violence at risk; fewer perpetrators are being ordered to attend stopping violence programmes, and there is a low uptake of programmes for adult and child victims; and there are a lack of consequences for respondents who breach protection orders. The report presents these issues for further discussion and calls for a return to the intent of the Domestic Violence Act, along with specialist domestic violence training in the justice sector and more collaborative approaches to family violence interventions.