Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Court
The specialist DFV court at Southport became Queensland’s first permanent specialist DFV court after a trial period of almost two years, commencing 1 September 2015. The trial incorporated elements of other successful Australian and international specialist court models.
The outcomes of the trial informed the establishment of future work in developing a specialist approach to the way DFV proceedings are dealt with in courts across Queensland, including the establishment of specialist DFV courts in Townsville and Beenleigh.
- Read the 2016 report: Interim evaluation of the trial specialist domestic and family violence court in Southport May 2016 (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Read the 2017 report Final evaluation of the trial specialist domestic and family violence court in Southport February 2017 (PDF, 5.1 MB)
The rollout of the specialist DFV courts was staged over six years (2018 to 2023) and all specialist DFV courts are now operational with Townsville, Beenleigh, Mount Isa and Cairns offering a culturally responsive approach for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander court users.
A further evaluation of the Southport specialist DFV court was conducted over the period 2017-2021. Read the Final Report which is located below or download it here.
Final Report of the most recent evaluation
Released 17 June 2022
- Read the final report of the most recent evaluation of the Southport Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Court: Process and Outcomes Evaluation 2017-2021 released on 17 June 2022.
- Read the Process Evaluation report which informs the final report of the most recent evaluation of the Southport Specialist Domestic and Family Violence Court: Process Evaluation: 2017-2020 .
Specialist DFV court justice response
The specialist DFV court justice response aims to:
- provide a coordinated, respectful, and fair justice response to DFV
- enhance safety and wellbeing and provide a better court experience for victim-survivors including children
- support increased accountability for persons using violence, compliance with court orders and demonstrated behavioural change.
Specialist DFV courts operate in Southport, Beenleigh, Mount Isa, Townsville and Palm Island (as a circuit of the Townsville specialist DFV court), Brisbane and Cairns.
The specialist DFV court justice response is working towards the coordination of civil and criminal matters in each location. In locations where these matters are coordinated, dedicated magistrates hear both criminal and civil DFV related matters (I.e. civil applications and criminal matters in the same callover).
Renovations to the Southport, Beenleigh, Townsville and Palm Island courthouses occurred to provide new DFV courtrooms, secure and comfortable waiting areas with direct access to the courtrooms, a specialist DFV court registry and sound proofed meeting rooms. Renovations to facilities in Brisbane and Cairns are ongoing.
Key features of the specialist DFV court justice response include:
- dedicated magistrates
- a DJAG DFV court coordinator to oversee operations and the continuous improvement of the specialist DFV courts approach, including stakeholder engagement
- a specialist DFV court registry where specialist court staff are trained to offer support and information to people involved in DFV court matters
- dedicated prosecutors
- specialist DFV duty lawyers to provide advice and representation for people involved in DFV court matters
- specialist DFV court support services for people involved in DFV court matters
- dedicated Queensland Corrective Services’ officers (where coordination of criminal and civil matters is in place)
- cross-agency governance groups (Operational Working Groups [OWG])
- infrastructure and security featuresto support safety (including security officers)
- on-site triage and reception connecting clients to specialist services.
A key component of the specialist DFV court approach is collaboration between stakeholders including the Queensland Police Service, Legal Aid Queensland, Queensland Corrective Services, and other non-government service providers who deliver critical support to people involved in DFV proceedings. The following video explains more about the integrated services and specialist approach during the DFV court’s trial period at Southport.
Support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander DFV court users
An important focus of the specialist DFV court approach is the experience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander court users and working to ensure the court approach is culturally appropriate and responsive.
Community Justice Groups (CJGs) in Townsville, Mount Isa, Beenleigh, Palm Island and Cairns are funded to support the operation of the specialist DFV courts in those locations. CJGs provide support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are involved in DFV court proceedings. This support may include assisting in transporting people to and from court for court appearances, linking people with programs and helping to ensure people understand the court process and any orders that are made.
To find out more about Community Justice Groups you can visit the Queensland Courts website.