The Downing Centre local court in Sydney. The number of domestic violence-related cases before NSW local courts has grown to 26% in 2023.The Downing Centre local court in Sydney. The number of domestic violence-related cases before NSW local courts has grown to 26% in 2023.last year were related to domestic violence, new data shows, as community legal services warn of a critical lack in funding to help victim-survivors seek justice.
Meanwhile, the average time taken to finalise a contested domestic family violence matter in the local court took 266 days in 2023, up from 170 days in 2019.Jackie Fitzgerald, the executive director of Bocsar, said the increase in withdrawal rates may be linked to the time it takes the courts to finalise the matters. She said this delay is in part due to courts catching up post-pandemic as matters continue to accrue.
“Apart from the stress and extended trauma it causes for victims, there is then the likelihood that this then won’t be resolved in court.” Court matters relating to all significant DV offences also increased over the five years, including by 29% for matters relating to assault and by 51% for matters primarily relating to intimidation and stalking.
“This increase could be due to more victim-survivors feeling safe to report but we know that much of this violence goes unreported,” Phillips said.