This page collects cabinet papers and legislation that is relevant to our family violence and sexual violence work.

Cabinet Papers

The Government requires Ministers to proactively release Cabinet papers and related information. This policy applies to papers lodged for consideration from 1 January 2019 onwards.

Note: Documents may include redactions for reasons given under the Official Information Act.

Year Paper
2023

Arrangements for the Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence and Te Pūkotahitanga Report Back [PDF, 971 KB](external link)

Delivering Te Aorerekura The National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence Proactively Released [PDF, 821 KB]

Outcomes and Measurement Framework - Tracking the progress of Te Aorerekura

2022 Tangata Whenua Ministerial Advisory Group for the elimination of family violence and sexual violence: appointments [PDF, 1.7 MB](external link)
2021

Te Aorerekura: The National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence [PDF, 10 MB](external link)

2021 Cabinet paper establishing the IEB [PDF, 571 KB]

Transforming the Family Violence and Sexual Violence System - National Strategy and Action Plans [PDF, 1.6 MB](external link)

2018

Leadership of Government's collective efforts to reduce family violence and sexual violence [PDF, 453 KB](external link)

Breaking the inter-generational cycle of family violence and sexual violence [PDF, 1.2 MB](external link)

Family Violence and Sexual Violence Legislation

The Government wants to make sure family violence victims are kept safe and people who use family violence are held to account.

To do this, Parliament passed two major pieces of new legislation: the Family Violence Act 2018 and the Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018. The Sexual Violence Legislation Bill has passed its Second Reading.

Family Violence Act 2018

Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018

Sexual Violence Legislation Act 2021

Family Violence Act 2018

The Family Violence Act 2018(external link)(external link)(external link) took effect on 1 July 2019, and replaced the Domestic Violence Act 1995.

This Act gives decision-makers working in the family violence system better guidance about the nature and impact of family violence. This is so they can better respond to people impacted by violence and people who use violence. It also:

  • updates the definition of family violence to explain how controlling behaviour can be used over time to frighten a person and undermine their autonomy
  • provides a set of principles to guide decision making and support a consistent, appropriate and timely response for all people
  • names 10 government agencies and a range of social service providers as Family Violence Agencies
  • makes several changes to Protection Orders to improve their effectiveness and protection for people
  • clarifies that a carer can also be in a close personal relationship with the person they care for
  • increases the maximum duration of Police Safety Orders and increases support for people
  • removes legal barriers to information sharing between agencies to increase victims’ safety.

Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018

The Family Violence (Amendments) Act 2018(external link)(external link)(external link) makes changes to the Bail Act 2000, Crimes Act 1961, Sentencing Act 2002, Evidence Act 2006, Criminal Procedure Act 2011 and Care of Children Act 2004.

The changes aim to improve responses to family violence in criminal and civil law, including:

  • ensuring that the safety of victims, including children, is the priority when courts make decisions on bail
  • creating the new offence of strangulation or suffocation
  • making it an offence to force someone into marriage or a civil union in New Zealand or overseas
  • making it a specific offence to assault a family member
  • considering when a Protection Order is in place at the time an offence is committed at sentencing
  • introducing a ‘family violence flag’ to make cases more visible in the system
  • gives family violence offending greater visibility in the court.

Sexual Violence Legislation Act 2021

This Bill amends the Evidence Act 2006, Victims’ Rights Act 2002, and Criminal Procedure Act 2011 to reduce re-traumatisation that victims of sexual violence may experience when they attend court and give evidence.(external link)

Sexual Violence Legislation Act 2021 No 60, Public Act – New Zealand Legislation(external link)

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