An order made by the Court against a person (respondent) who causes fear of violence, intimidation or harassment to another person (protected person).
An Intervention Order
- remains in place permanently unless it is revised or revoked by the Court.
- if resulting from domestic abuse, is recognised and enforceable across all Australian states and territories.
A temporary order which can be issued by Police or the Court against a person (respondent) who makes you fear for your safety, to protect you from further abuse including violence until the Court can hear evidence from all parties to determine if a permanent Intervention Order should be made. The order comes into force once it is received by the respondent.
An Intervention Order can include a range of conditions that restrict a respondent’s ability to approach, contact, intimidate or harass a protected person. The respondent must comply with all conditions in the order. Failure to do so may result in a sentence of imprisonment.
| Type of abuse | Examples |
| Physical | Hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, choking, pushing, pulling. etc |
| Sexual | Rape Pressure to perform sexual acts Pressure to watch sexual acts or pornography |
| Property Damage | Breaking or damaging property or belongings, including those that are jointly owned |
| Emotional, social or psychological | Making someone feel isolated, helpless or fearful Taunting or belittling Sending abusive messages via phone, email or social media Stalking Harming or killing pets |
| Threats | To harm you, others, themselves, property or pets To take children away or make a report against you to authorities To disclose personal information or distribute personal images To get someone deported |
| Coercion, Control, Domination | Intimidating or bullying behaviour Controlling someone’s actions, such as where they go, who they see, what they wear, what they eat, when they sleep Withholding required equipment or medication Forcing someone to marry without their consent |
Police Application
In most cases a Police application can be supported by affidavit evidence, without the need for you to attend. Police will advise you and any witness(es) if you need to attend court to give evidence.
Private Application
You must attend Court to give sworn evidence to support the application.
Preliminary Hearing
Where there is no Police Issued Interim Intervention Order in place, new applications for an intervention order are listed for preliminary hearing before a Magistrate as soon as practicable. The respondent is not advised about this hearing and will not be in attendance. The Magistrate considers the application and may issue an Interim Intervention Order if it is appropriate after hearing the initial evidence from the Police or applicant.
For Private Applications, the Magistrate will explain the process and ask you to explain what has happened. You should come prepared to provide evidence that proves the allegations you are making. This might include bringing witnesses who can give evidence to support your application.
At the Preliminary Hearing the Court will decide whether to make an Interim Intervention Order. If an interim order is made:
- a transcript of the evidence is produced and provided to the respondent.
- the Court sets a date for a Court Hearing, usually within a week, and
- the respondent is summoned to attend the Court Hearing.
NOTE: If Police issue an Interim Intervention Order a Preliminary Hearing will not be held and the respondent will be summoned to attend a Court Hearing – see below
Court Hearing(s)
If the respondent has been served with the Interim Intervention Order and summons and does not attend, the Court can make a final Intervention Order.
If the respondent appears and agrees with the order, the Court may make a final Intervention order.
If the respondent appears and disagrees with the order the Court may set a date for another Court Hearing or may refer the parties to mediation or list the matter for trial.
NOTE: Mediation is not offered where domestic abuse is alleged.
Mediation
Mediation provides an opportunity for the parties to resolve the situation. This is conducted by a court-appointed mediator at no cost to the parties. If no agreement is reached, the matter is referred back to the Court for another Court Hearing.
Trial
If agreement cannot be reached at the Court Hearings or mediation, the application is listed for trial. The Court will hear all the evidence from the parties and decide whether to make a final Intervention Order.
Safety Concerns
If an applicant or witness is fearful of being in the same room as the respondent, the court may allow them to appear electronically from another court or building, or allow for other supports to be in place.