Police Protection Directions (PPD)
What is a Police Protection Direction (PPD)?
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A Police Protection Direction (PPD) is a direction issued by the police to stop threats or acts of domestic violence where it would not be more appropriate for the matter to proceed to court.
A PPD can be issued by police when responding to a domestic violence incident or callout and is an on-the-spot direction that lasts for 12 months and has conditions similar to a Protection Order issued by a Magistrate.
What is a Review of a Police Protection Direction?
If you disagree with a PPD that has been issued, you may seek a review. PPDs can be reviewed by:
- The Queensland Police Service (a police review); or
- The Magistrates Court (a court review).
Police Review
You can request a police review of a PPD within 28 days of the PPD being given. Applications submitted more than 28 days after the PPD is given may be considered, however you must explain the reason for your late application.
Who can apply for a police review?
Only certain people can apply for a police review:
- The respondent (the person the PPD is named against),
- The aggrieved (the person the PPD is protecting),
- A named person on the PPD, or
- An authorised person acting for the aggrieved
What happens next?
When an application for police review is received:
- A Reviewing Officer (a Senior Sergeant or Inspector) will review the PPD for you, including the reason it was given and checking eligibility.
- The Reviewing Officer may decide the PPD should stay in place or may take other action.
- The Reviewing Officer cannot consider anything that has happened after the PPD was issued when making the decision.
- The respondent, aggrieved, and any other named parties on the PPD will be advised of the decision.
You can apply for a court review at any time during the police review, however this will end the police review.
For more information about the police review process, visit the QPS website: www.police.qld.gov.au/domestic-violence.
Court Review
You can apply for a court review at any time while a PPD is in force by filing the right form with the court and attending the hearing. At the hearing, the court hears all of the evidence and decides the outcome of the review. If you have a lawyer, they will come to the hearing. If you are representing yourself, the magistrate will talk you through the process.
Regardless of who applies for court review, the court review process will always involve an application for a protection order with the police as the applicant and the same aggrieved and respondent as the PPD.
Applying for Review of a Police Protection Direction
If you are applying for a police review of a PPD, you can:
- Submit the Application online for Police Review of an PPD via www.police.qld.gov.au/domestic-violence.
- Download the application via www.police.qld.gov.au/domestic-violence, complete on the computer, print and attend your local police station with the completed form.
- Your local Police station can also provide you with the paper version of the Application for a Police Review of a PPD to complete and submit in person.
You can find your closest Police station here https://www.police.qld.gov.au/stations.
If you are applying for a court review of a PPD, you will be required to fill out one or two forms:
- All applicants should fill out Form DV59A Application for Court Review of a Police Protection Direction .
- If you are the respondent on the PPD and you want the outcome of the court review to be a protection order naming you as the aggrieved, you should also fill out Form DV59B Police Protection Direction Respondent Application for Protection Order .
- The courts also have an information sheet available to assist you completing these forms.
You can choose from the following options to fill out the form or forms:
- Complete the form/s on the computer, print and file with a Magistrates Court
- Print the form/s, complete by hand and file with a Magistrates Court.
- Complete the form/s at your nearest Magistrates Court.
There is no cost to apply for a court review of a PPD.
Answer all the questions on the form/s and try to include as much relevant information as possible, including why you are applying for the review and the outcome that you would like from the review. You can attach extra pages to your application if there isn’t enough space on the form/s.
Once you’ve completed the form/s, file the application at a Magistrates Court in person or via post. In some limited circumstances you may also file the application by e-mail (see Electronically filed domestic and family violence documents for more information).
After you apply
After you file the application with the court, police will serve the other party listed on your application and any other named persons listed on the PPD. The application for a court review will be listed before a Magistrate within 14 days of filing, or as soon as possible.
If you have concerns about your safety when arriving at, being in and leaving the court, complete a domestic and family violence safety form before going to court. A registrar will share the form with court staff security officers and the domestic violence protection worker. They will arrange safety measures for you, such as safe rooms and security. We’ll put the form on your court file, but it won’t be a part of your application and won’t be shown to the respondent.
The domestic violence safety form can be submitted when you lodge your application for court review, or any time after.