Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration

05/09/2022

National Domestic & Family Violence Bench Book (‘NDFVBB’)

The NDFVBB is an online resource developed and managed by Professor Heather Douglas (Melbourne University) for the AIJA and funded by the Attorney Generals/Justice Departments of the Commonwealth, States and Territories.

In 2021, the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department provided funding to the AIJA for an additional project on coercive control. The AIJA engaged Professor Douglas and researcher, Ms Hannah Ehler, to undertake the project, with the support of a specialist advisory committee comprised of members of the judiciary with experience working in the area of domestic and family violence.

Interviews with 28 judicial officers and 5 research experts were conducted to identify ideas about the information needed by judicial officers to better understand coercive control.

As a result of that consultation Professor Douglas and Ms Hannah Ehler produced a report: ‘Coercive Control and Judicial Education: A Consultation Report’ and based on the Report and with input from the AIJA’s specialist advisory committee, Professor Douglas and Ms Greta Robenstone produced the following resources to facilitate judicial education about coercive control:

• Slides for education sessions: ‘Recognising and Responding to Coercive Control’
• Speaker’s Notes for the slides: ‘Recognising and Responding to Coercive Control’
• A video ’Coercive Control: Recognition and Response’, featuring members of the judiciary discussing coercive control.