Stalking and Domestic Violence: Views of Queensland Magistrates (From Stalking: Criminal Justice Responses, P 1-11, 2000, Australian Institute of Criminology -- See NCJ-188298)

• NCJ Number: 188307
• Author(s): Susan Currie
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 11 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: Paper from the conference, "Stalking: Criminal Justice Responses," organized by the Australian Institute of Criminology, December 7-8, 2000, in Sydney. Downloaded May 14, 2001

Annotation

In 2000, a survey of Queensland (Australia) magistrates solicited their views on issues that pertained to domestic violence and the operation of the Domestic Violence (Family Protection) Act 1989, with attention to stalking as an aspect of domestic violence.

Abstract

The magistrates' opinions were canvassed on two issues: how well the Domestic Violence legislation dovetailed with the stalking provisions of the Queensland Criminal Code, as well as how comfortable they were in making domestic violence orders when the harassment involved little more than minor inconveniences for the complainant. Initial findings indicated that the majority of magistrates surveyed believed there was a good working relationship between the Domestic Violence Act and the stalking provisions of the Queensland Criminal Code. Also, the majority of magistrates were comfortable in making domestic violence orders when the harassment cited by the complainant did not involve the threat of physical violence. Those magistrates who were reluctant to issue protection orders under such circumstances stated that such behavior must be continuous, clearly intimidating and stressful to the complainant, and well documented. Survey questions and responses and stalking components of Queensland law are presented.