ACTCOSS has made a submission to the Justice and Community Safety Committee inquiry into the Family Violence Legislation Amendment Bill 2022, presented by the Attorney-General in February 2022. Our submission was largely supportive of the moves to protect victim/survivors from family violence but cautioned against the introduction of higher maximum penalties. There is substantial evidence that severity of punishment has negligible effect on reoffending and rehabilitation, and it is likely that higher penalties would lead to increased incarceration of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
