KEY POINTS:
A bill to give police the power to issue on-the-spot protection orders to victims of domestic violence passed its first reading today.
Justice Minister Simon Power said the Domestic Violence (Enhancing Safety) Amendment Bill aimed to strengthen what the criminal justice system could do to protect victims.
"Against the background of a steady increase in reported family violence the number of applications for protection orders has actually declined 26 per cent from 1999-2000 to 2005-2006," he told Parliament.
"I don't pretend this bill will stop violence occurring in the home...but as a first step it is designed to give both police and criminal courts enhanced tools to provide victims of domestic violence with immediate protection and to help keep victims safe from further violence."
In 2007-2008 family violence led to 39 per cent of homicides, 42 per cent of kidnappings and abductions, 44 per cent of grievous assaults, and 64 per cent of serious assaults.
The new orders, which will last for up to five days, can be issued when police do not have enough to arrest an offender but they think family are in danger.
Mr Power encouraged the select committee to consider making it longer.
Other changes in the bill included:
* removing criteria police had to meet before they could arrest someone for breaching a protection order;
* making the penalty for breaching orders a custodial sentence of up to two years;
* setting a jail sentence of up to six months for failing to attend a court ordered programme such as anger management;
* requiring sentencing judges to consider imposing a protection order when dealing with a person convicted of a domestic violence offence;
* changing the Bail Act so when a person is arrested for domestic violence offending conditions explicitly protecting children can be set.
The previous Labour government had tabled a similar bill but it had not had time to pass.
Labour's Lianne Dalziel was disappointed that other changes in that bill were not retained. Those included giving courts the power to issue care and contact orders to protect children and other measures relating to custody.
She said the Government was keeping the bill simple because it was part of its 100 days of action rather than dealing with all the issues.
Mr Power said the bill was focused on the criminal justice system response and officials were considering the other ideas.
All parties supported the bill.
- NZPA
