Women's Legal Services Attachment
Protectionspreventingthe directcross-examination ofthe victim/survivor by the allegedperpetratorand vice-versa in civil andfamily lawproceedingsand options for managing the giving and taking ofevidence inotherjurisdictionsrelevantto theproposedamendmentstotheFamily Law Act (Cth) 1975consultation
Country/State / Typeof proceeding / Relevantlegislation / Availableprotection / EligibilityforprotectionUnitedStates–NewYork / Family / FamilyCourt Act 1962
ss 261 and 262 / Thecourtcanassigncounseltoapetitionerorrespondentwhois‘indigent’,inanycaseinvolvingfamilyoffences(includingactswhichwouldconstitutedisorderlyconduct,harassment,sexualmisconduct,forcibletouching,sexualabuse,stalking,recklessendangerment,strangulation,assault)andcertainchildprotectionmatters. / Apetitionerorrespondentwhoisfinanciallyunabletoobtaincounsel.
UnitedStates -Alaska / FamilyLaw / InAlaska, people can optforan informaltrial in familylawmatters, instead of aformaltrial.Both partiesand the judgemustagree to it.Informal trials arepurportedlyeasier for peoplewho arerepresentingthemselvesasfewerrules applyand thejudgeasks questions andguides the process,while alsotryingto reduce conflictbetweenthe two sidesand helping them to focus onthe children or other issues.
Features of the informaltrialinclude:
- Partiesspeak directlyto thejudge.Thejudge will ask questions toensureparties cover everythingtheyneed to know to decidethe case.
- Theparties cannot question orinterrupteach otherdirectly. Thejudgeasks theotherpartyor theirlawyer iftherearequestions thattheythink the judge should ask. Thejudge will ask thequestionssuggestedif thejudge agreestheywould be helpful.
- TheRules ofEvidencedo not applyso thereare fewerconcernsregarding admissibilityofevidence.
NewZealand / Criminaland civil / EvidenceAct 2006
S 95 / A defendant in asexual case, or adefendantin or apartyto criminalorcivilproceedingsconcerningdomesticviolenceorharassment, is not entitled to personallycross-examine a complainant, or apartywho has made allegations of domesticviolence or harassment.
In other civil or criminalproceedings, thecourtmaymake an orderthat apartyto theproceedingmust not personallycross-examinethe witness on groundsincludingthe psychological or psychiatricimpairmentof thewitness and the relationship of thewitness to the unrepresentedparty. Whenconsideringwhether ornot to makeanorder, the court must have regard to theneed to ensurethe fairness of theproceeding and, in a criminalproceeding,that the defendant has afair trial, and theneed to minimisethe stress on the / Acomplainantorapartywhohasmadeallegationsofdomesticviolenceor harassment.
complainant orwitness, and anyother factorthat is relevant to the just determination ofthe proceeding.
A defendant who is precludedfrompersonallycross-examiningawitness mayhave his or her questions put to thewitnessbya lawyerengagedbythe defendant, or ifthe defendant is unrepresentedand fails orrefuses to engagea lawyerfor thepurposewithin a reasonable time specifiedbythecourt, aperson appointedbythecourtforthe purpose.In respect ofeachsuchquestion, the courtmayallow the questionto be put to thewitness, requirethe questionto be put to thewitness in a formrephrasedbythecourt, orrefusetoallow the questionto be put to thewitness.
UnitedKingdom / FamilyLaw / Prisonsand CourtsBill 2017 / A bill to amend theMatrimonial andFamily Proceedings Act 1984to providefora ban on directcross-examinationwas putto the UK Parliament in early2017 butlapsed dueto the UKelection.
This Billoutlined the circumstances whenanautomatic ban on direct cross-examinationapplied,discretion to applyabanappliedand stipulated the payment of“properfee orcosts ofaqualifiedlegalrepresentativeappointed” forthe purposesof cross-examination“out of central funds”. / VictimofDomesticViolence
Wenotesincethe election theUK Government hascommittedto introducing aCourts Bill to “enddirectcrossexaminationof domesticviolence victims bytheirallegedperpetrators in thefamilycourtsandallowmore victims to participate in trialswithout havingto meet their allegedassailantface-to-face.”
Practice Direction12J / ThePractice Direction entitled‘Childarrangementsandcontactorders:Domesticviolence and harm’currentlyprovides for ajudge or layjusticeto conduct thequestioningon behalf ofthe partiesratherthan allowdirect-cross examination bytheparties in a fact-findinghearing.(Paragraph28) / Allegationofdomesticviolence
UnitedKingdom(contd) / Reviseddraft Practice Direction 12J / ThePractice Direction isunderreview.TheRevisedDraftPractice Direction proposesadditionalrequirementson the court.
Paragraph 6requires thecourt to “ensurethat the courtprocess is not usedas a meansto perpetuatecoercion, control orharassmentbyanabusive parent”.
Paragraph 28which currentlyenables ajudge or layjusticeto conduct thequestioningon behalf of the partiesratherthan allowdirect-cross examination bytheparties in a fact-findinghearingproposesthis be extended to “otherhearing[s]” andstipulates a ban on directcross-examination. / Allegationofdomesticviolence