Speaker: Prof Stuart Ross, School of Social and Political Sciences,  University of Melbourne

One of the important changes in the response to family violence has been the increasingly salient role of police in initiating applications for Family Violence Intervention Orders. However, around 12,000 FIVO applications are made each year by Affected Family Members directly through Magistrates’ Court registrars. The Royal Commission into Family Violence identified a number of barriers that AFM applicants must negotiate in this process, including delays in the making of an order, the complexity of the application, and the risks and trauma associated with court visits.

An online FVIO application process, developed by the Neighbourhood Justice Centre, offers an alternative application pathway for AFMs. This system is currently being trialled at three venues in Victoria with plans for a roll-out to the rest of the state.

This presentation reviews issues facing AFM applicants and their experiences with both the existing registry application process and the online alternative.

MAEVe Seminar Series

The Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence Against Women and their Children (MAEVe) was established in 2015 to draw together research and evaluation capacity across the University, in partnership with community, industry and government agencies, to respond to this pressing challenge.

MAEVe strives to make a difference to the lives of women, families and communities by addressing and preventing violence against women through interdisciplinary and intra-institutional collaboration.

MAEVe's lunchtime seminar series is held fortnightly (with the exception of holidays)

Semester 2 Program

All events are held on Tuesdays between 1pm and 2pm at Melbourne Law School, 185 Pelham Street, Carlton.