Minns flags tougher bail laws for high-risk domestic violence orders
The NSW government will introduce changes to bail laws to make it harder for men deemed a high risk of committing future domestic violence offences to be released from jail, as Premier Chris Minns concedes the rate of violence against women has reached emergency proportions.
Speaking after yet another high-profile alleged domestic violence incident when a woman was stabbed outside an Alexandria gym on Wednesday, Minns revealed he would introduce a bill next week to toughen bail laws for domestic violence offenders seen to be the highest risk of reoffending.
Premier Chris Minns has promised tougher bail laws for high-risk domestic violence offenders.Credit: Sam Mooy
But Minns played down the likelihood of major reforms around expanded ankle bracelet monitoring, saying the high number of incidents of violence against women, coupled with the limited data on its effectiveness, meant the government was more focused on bail reform.
Almost 40,000 Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVO) have been issued in NSW in the past 12 months.
“What we are looking at in terms of our intervention is the bail remand question, particularly for high-risk offenders,” he said.
“Because under those circumstances, we know the offender is locked up while awaiting trial.”
The reforms have yet to be signed off by cabinet, and Minns said the package was still being finalised. The government flagged the changes ahead of a separate bill introduced by the Coalition on Thursday which would see an extension of electronic monitoring for domestic violence offenders.
Despite the minority parliament, the opposition’s bill is unlikely to pass; on Thursday NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley said the government had received advice from some experts in the domestic violence sector urging caution around electronic monitoring.
“There are instances where it does not work, does not protect the woman, and the woman in question does not feel safe,” he said.
The premier also said his government would introduce changes to the use of court registrars to sign off on bail for serious domestic violence matters, as in the case of the alleged murderer of Forbes mother Molly Ticehurst.
Minns sought advice from the state’s Crown Advocate on potential changes to bail laws following the public outcry that followed Ticehurst’s death last month. While the government is yet to receive that advice, Minns said he was pushing ahead with the reforms.
“We do need a change. It needs to be comprehensive,” he said.
“The scale of the problem is growing, not diminishing.”
The package to be introduced next week could, for example, include high-risk offenders who have flouted the terms of previous or existing ADVOs.
Minns also cited offenders who have had a “choking offence” as part of a domestic violence charge.
“That can give an indication that the offender is a potential high risk to commit a homicide or commit continued violence against a victim-survivor,” he said.
“These are complex policy issues. There are no easy answers here. I fully acknowledge if there was an easy answer, my government and my predecessor governments would have done it. That’s not an excuse to raise the white flag; it’s simply to suggest we need a number of policy changes to actually make a difference and save women’s lives.”
Minns described the attack in Alexandria as “every woman’s worst nightmare”.
“It’s important to say these events are not rare, either,” he said.
“They are common. The number and frequency of domestic violence incidents in NSW represents an absolute emergency in the state.”
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