DFV Counselling And The Impact On Practice Of The Criminalisation Of Coercive Control In Queensland
Tracks
Room 3: In-Person Only
| Wednesday, November 26, 2025 |
| 8:30 AM - 8:50 AM |
Overview
Angela Lynch, DV-alert and QSAN
Details
1. Greater uderstanding of the new offence Queensland offence of coercive control.
2. Impacts on DFV counselling practice.
3. Service responses including the need for policy and staff training.
Speaker
Angela Lynch
Sector Engagement Manager
DV-alert and QSAN
DFV counselling and the impact on practice of the criminalisation of coercive control in Queensland
Presentation Overview
On 26th May 2025 coercive control was made a criminal offence in Queensland with a maximum penalty of 14 years.
At the same time, significant changes to the Evidence Act were introduced expanding the use of preliminary complaint evidence from sexual violence matters to domestic and family violence matters.
Preliminary complaint evidence are any statements made by a victim survivor to another person, prior to making a formal complaint to the police about a criminal matter and this could include statements made to a counsellor. In sexual violence matters counsellors are rarely called as preliminary complaint witnesses, but it is unclear if this will be the same for DFV matters.
There is also increased likelihood of DFV counselling notes being subject to subpoenas in the criminal courts, as evidence of coercive control or more broadly domestic violence is sought. Unlike sexual violence, there is no specific legislation that provides protection around the release of this information to the court.
It is important for counsellors to be aware of these significant legal changes to be best placed to respond and to assist at an organisational level with the development of appropriate policy.
At the same time, significant changes to the Evidence Act were introduced expanding the use of preliminary complaint evidence from sexual violence matters to domestic and family violence matters.
Preliminary complaint evidence are any statements made by a victim survivor to another person, prior to making a formal complaint to the police about a criminal matter and this could include statements made to a counsellor. In sexual violence matters counsellors are rarely called as preliminary complaint witnesses, but it is unclear if this will be the same for DFV matters.
There is also increased likelihood of DFV counselling notes being subject to subpoenas in the criminal courts, as evidence of coercive control or more broadly domestic violence is sought. Unlike sexual violence, there is no specific legislation that provides protection around the release of this information to the court.
It is important for counsellors to be aware of these significant legal changes to be best placed to respond and to assist at an organisational level with the development of appropriate policy.
Biography
