Taking DV to Task

Zonta Club of Brisbane and Zonta International District 22 worked together to deliver a submission to the Women's Safety and Justice Task Force.

The taskforce asked for submissions on one of its Discussion Paper 1 - Options for legislating against coercive control and the creation of a standalone domestic violence offence.

In the submission, the focus is on five specific areas of discussion:

• A new name to integrate domestic violence and coercive control

• Community education to help recognise coercive control

• Education for Young People around domestic violence and sexual assault

• Police training and specialist “champions”

• Developing a register of serious domestic violence offenders

The Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce is an independent, consultative taskforce established by the Queensland Government to examine coercive control and review the need for a specific offence of domestic violence the experience of women across the criminal justice system.

The Taskforce will make recommendations to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence. It is chaired by Zonta Club of Brisbane member, the Honourable Margret McMurdo AC, former President of the Queensland Court of Appeal.