Data from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (Bocsar) showed 26% of matters finalised in local courts in 2023 were related to domestic violence, up from 20% in 2019.
The proportion of domestic and family violence-related assault charges withdrawn from the local court by the prosecution has also increased, from 18% in 2019 to 27% in 2023.
Meanwhile, the average time taken to finalise a contested domestic family violence matter in the local court took 266 days in 2023, up from 170 days in 2019.
Demand for Legal Aid’s help in NSW has also increased, with the agency seeing a 61% rise over two years for its legal services.
In April, the legal service said it expects the demand to increase further once the coercive control law – which makes controlling an intimate partner via abuse a criminal offence – comes into effect in NSW in July.
Bocsar’s data revealed the number of AVO breaches before courts increased by 46% from 2019 to 2023 statewide.
The number of AVOs granted also increased by 20% during the same period statewide. In Sydney, it was up by 22% and in the regions by 17%. The Grafton and Coffs Harbour region experienced the highest increase in AVOs at 41%.
Court matters relating to all significant DV offences also increased over the five years, including by 29% for matters relating to assault and by 51% for matters primarily relating to intimidation and stalking.
Vivian Galanis, the principal solicitor at Wallumatta Legal, said the uptick was not surprising and was likely due to the historical underreporting of domestic violence incidents.
“There is a significant lack of availability of government-funded services and affordable options for legal advice and representation – and my view is this is where increased government investment is most crucially needed,” she said.
[Ed: And yet FLC cannot secure funding and our Women’s Court Support Service (an unfunded DV service that has been operating almost 20 years) in the Family Court has just been booted out and replaced by a men’s support service. Please raise this with your elected representatives.]