The defendant must comply with the terms of the order. An intervention order does not give the defendant a criminal record, but if they are found guilty of violating the order, it can result in a criminal record. The magistrate will also inform you of the date of the full hearing of your application. Then you go back to court to ask for a final order. 6.99 If (as in the case of PSHRs) a police disclosure is treated as an application for an intervention order, this would result in even more requests for PSIOs. This would make it difficult to identify serious cases of harassment. [121] If your request for a contested hearing is adjourned, any injunction will continue to protect you, unless the judge decides otherwise. 6.29 The volume of PSOs is a problem. Derryn Hinch`s Justice Party told us that it will be difficult to “separate the serious from the trivial”. [29] Jason Gullaci of the Criminal Bar Association explained that using intervention orders “for incidental purposes by other means” makes it difficult to know which cases “become serious cases of criminal harassment.” [30] The Law Institute of Victoria has stated that the number of PHNs makes them more difficult to monitor and that victims who have survived stalking may not receive the support they need. [31] We were also told that it is important to identify and respond quickly to cases that need to be escalated under the “large number of personal security issues.” [32] It is important to go to court to ask the judge to make a final order. You have to be prepared to spend the whole day on the farm. We can give you information and advice about PSIAs, but we cannot represent you in court.
We may refer you to other legal services for legal representation. If you are the protected person subject to an intervention order, it is important that you understand what the conditions mean so that you know how they protect you. Parties in PSIO matters must attempt to use a mediation service such as the Victoria Dispute Resolution Centre (VCSC) to attempt to resolve the dispute. The prerequisite for mediation is considered to be met if: You do not need a lawyer in court, although if you choose to do so, you will have to pay your lawyer. It`s a good idea to have a support person with you, especially if you`re worried about your safety. 6.23 Under the new legislation, the explanatory memorandum of an order was expanded to “explicitly recognize some of the other conduct now covered by harassment intervention orders, such as harassment and damage to property or interference.” [25] The lawyer must upload all relevant supporting documents to ATLAS with the application, including a copy of the court order and details of the assistance requested. A personal safety order is an order made by a judge to protect a person from physical or mental harm caused by a person who is not a family member. These options are the same as those that apply to a domestic violence intervention order.
At that time, the respondent would have decided to accept (accept) or challenge (refuse) the issuance of an intervention order. If you are concerned about the other party`s reaction to the service of your application, you should ask the judge to issue an injunction when you apply for the PSIA. The injunction will then take effect when the other party receives a copy of your application. 6.211 The Court explained its approach of obtaining detailed reports, services and legal representation. He stressed that while injunctions are a necessary safety tool, they avoid issuing final injunctions against young people whenever possible. [241] 6.225 It will be difficult to develop an alternative route. More research is needed on stalking among adolescents, particularly outside the context of an intimate relationship. [255] There is a particularly small amount of research on interventions for this group. The magistrate will then decide whether to issue an interim (immediate) intervention order to protect you.
If the defendant does not agree, a date is set for a contentious hearing. At the hearing, both of you will have the opportunity to call witnesses and present your evidence. The judge hears all the evidence and then decides whether or not to make a final order. 6.132 The prohibition of personal cross-examination would have an impact on resources, as more legal aid would be required, which could also lead to delays. [149] The prohibition should therefore not be exhaustive. We believe that there should be criteria for deciding who is a “protected witness,” subject to the discretion of judges. A PSIO is a civil order and the other party does not receive a criminal record if a PSIO is issued against it. 6.242 We agree that priority should be given to therapeutic pathways for children. The response to children must evolve to identify evidence of their development and prevent long-term contact with the justice system. Early intervention should be used to stop stalking for the benefit of the child being interviewed and the community. 6.1 The current Personal Safety Response Order (PSIO) system was implemented in 2011.
A person can apply to the trial court or the juvenile court to protect themselves, their children or their property from criminal harassment by a non-family member. [1] Recorded behaviours include bodily injury, harassment and property damage. [2] 6,208 Given that legal responses to stalking have potentially devastating consequences for many children interviewed, we believe it is in the public interest to consider less punitive (and arguably more effective) means for children under the age of 14 who engage in harassing behaviour. If the protected person and the respondent are family members, you will need an order to intervene against domestic violence. You may receive a personal security warrant if you have been attacked, sexually assaulted, harassed, seriously threatened, stalked or damaged by someone else who is not a family member. VLA may provide legal advice to a child under the age of 18 to respond to a request for an intervention order under the Act if all of the following conditions are met: For example, your order may not state that the other party may not “contact you or communicate with you in any way.” If they then text you or email, or call you by phone, they are violating the order. The police will send the defendant copies of the application, subpoena and any injunctions. 6.151 The Springvale Monash Community Legal Centre described an “urgent and critical need” for legal advice and representation for PSIO parties. [172] We heard of issues that may arise from the gap in legal support for applicants and respondents: 6,192 There are evidence-based developmental reasons for different responses to children. Children may not understand what stalking is or the risks involved.
[219] As children`s ability to think coherently is still developing, an intervention order may be less effective. This is one of the main reasons for not bringing children into the justice system through PSIAs. 6.130 We agree with these views. Personal cross-examination by the person who persecuted them could be incriminating to the complainant and prevent him from making his statements effectively, which does not result in a fair trial. We agree that this could be a barrier to reporting. We recommend that the PSIO Act be amended to prohibit the respondent from personally cross-examining the applicant in PSIO matters. The protected person or someone else, such as a police officer or parent, can apply for an order. It is recognized that an intervention order against a minor defendant should only be issued if there is no reasonable alternative. Practitioners are encouraged to advocate for outcomes and advise clients in accordance with this principle. 6.213 We understand these concerns and know that the Court wishes to maintain the instruments at its disposal to protect the safety of victims.
However, we again note that it is questionable to what extent PHNs are effective in discouraging children from the behaviour that is the subject of the order. For such behaviour to be considered harassment, the person must have intended to cause you physical or mental harm (including self-harm) or to cause you to fear for your own safety or the safety of another person, such as your children. 6.164 If guidelines were developed to separate criminal harassment issues from other PSIO matters (see above), these criteria could be used by legal service providers to determine who is eligible. In the meantime, eligibility should be based on an internal assessment of their needs. In addition to meeting the usual requirements of the Crown resonance test, the application for a personal safety intervention order must not be frivolous, vexatious or in bad faith. Protection from Domestic Violence Act, 2008 (Vic)s 169B (1) (b). The Act was amended in 2014 to include this exception, to protect the right of victims to tell their stories without seeking judicial authorization, to allow for honest and open reporting on the extent of domestic violence and its impact, and to help hold perpetrators accountable: Victoria, Parliamentary debates, Legislative Council, 20 August 2014, 2622 (Edward O`Donohue, Minister of Liquor and Gaming Regulation). If the magistrate grants a provisional PSIO, the conditions come into effect as soon as the police hand over the documents to the defendant.