The new laws would introduce stricter penalties and monitoring systems for abusers. Photo: Simona Pilolla.
The Queensland Government has introduced nation-leading legislation to Parliament, with new measures to curb domestic and family violence by holding perpetrators to account.
The Domestic and Family Violence Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 gives the state’s police greater ability to respond to victims sooner.
“The Crisafulli Government has prioritised domestic and family violence reform with nation-leading legislation that protects more victims sooner and holds perpetrators to account,” Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie said.
The reforms include the establishment of new offences for repeated contravention of a Police Protection Direction (PPD) or Domestic Violence Order (DVO).
Under the proposed changes, the electronic monitoring pilot for high-risk perpetrators will also be expanded and courts will be required to consider a monitoring device condition as part of a DVO.
The maximum penalty for a PPD contravention will be increased to five years in circumstances of aggravation, and a PPD duration will increase from one year to three, while the conditions for police to impose a PPD will expand.
Victims in civil court proceedings will also be protected with the closing of a loophole that allowed victims to be cross-examined by the alleged perpetrator.
Changes to the law would also mean that a person who breaches a DVO or PPD three times within a 28-day period will face five years of imprisonment.
The reforms support the delivery of commitments under Safer Families, Safer Communities: A Domestic and Family Violence Reform Strategy for Queensland.
The government said the reforms were the result of listening to victims, and gave police the powers and resources they needed to protect those harmed.
Acting Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Ann Leahy said: “Not only will our electronic monitoring pilot for high-risk perpetrators be expanded statewide, police will be able to use Police Protection Directions to protect more victims sooner from domestic and family violence.
“We’ve listened to victims who told us repeat perpetrators weren’t being held to account, and we’ve expanded electronic monitoring and introduced new offences to target them and protect victims.”
