Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia’s Chief Justice Will Alstergren AO joined AFL premiers Brisbane Lions to tackle the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence.
The Chief Justice teamed up with Lions co-captain Harris Andrews at the Brisbane Lions home ground on Monday.
“It’s more urgent than ever that we unite on this issue, as we know the holiday season always brings with it a surge in family violence,” he said. “Over the summer, we all need to speak out against any disrespect and violence we see toward women and girls in our families and communities, supporting those experiencing abuse to seek safety, and encouraging those being abusive to seek help and change.”
The Chief Justice was also joined by Lions’ CEO Greg Swann and Carolyn Robinson, founder of Beyond DV (pictured above). This theme of this year’s 16 Days of Activism campaign is to Unite to prevent violence against women and girls.
A video, featuring prominent Australians from sport and entertainment, was also previewed which appeals to young men against engaging in family violence. The video incorporates messages from Hugh Jackman, Eric Bana, Travis Fimmel, Usman Khawaja, Vance Joy, Hamish Blake and Kyle Chalmers.
The final video will feature as part of the Lions and Beyond DV’s partnership during Queensland’s Domestic and Family Violence Prevention month in May 2025.
The Chief Justice said: “By the time families are coming to our courts things are often really escalated, and the damage in many cases is irreversible. We need to do everything we can to step up and speak out to stop this behaviour in the first place.
“And it’s men who have the biggest role to play in this. We need men to play their part in changing this culture of disrespect and violence against women. It’s a national disgrace, and we’ve got to explore new ways to stop it before it starts.
“In my view, we need a national campaign, similar to what we did to drastically reduce smoking and drink driving in this country – to really send the message to the community, and men in particular, that family violence is just not on.”
On Tuesday, the Chief Justice gave a keynote address to the Stop Domestic Violence Conference in Adelaide, sharing the ways in which the courts have consulted with leaders in the field of family violence.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia has implemented several initiatives to protect victim-survivors and focus on the safety of litigants and children.
Eighty per cent of all parenting matters in the family court involve allegations of family violence.
In response to this finding and the growing recognition of the national crisis of family violence in Australia, the courts have undertaken many reforms, including:
- a redesigned case management pathway reducing the duration of 80 per cent of matters to 12 months (and within an average time of 6.5 months);
- digital transformation to promote efficiency and equal access to justice, particularly for those in regional and rural areas and those that face serious risks attending court in person;
- the creation of Lighthouse, an internationally award-winning risk screening, triage, and case management pathway for high-risk matters involving family violence, so that the Courts are assessing and managing risk at the earliest opportunity;
- the rollout of Safe & Together training to judges and staff;
- information sharing with law enforcement and child protection agencies to obtain accurate information about risk and enable fast action in the event that risks escalate; and
- an Indigenous Family Liaison Program and Specialist Indigenous Lists to promote access to justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, enabling First Nations families to make family-led decisions, keeping kids safe and connected to community and culture.
The Courts also held a Family Violence Symposium in April 2024, where leaders at the forefront of preventing and responding to family violence came together with the key stakeholders in the Courts to share expertise and map an ambitious path forward.
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