New Zealand Executive Government News Release Archive

Delegates attending the Commonwealth Law Ministers Conference in Kuala Lumpur have shown great interest in New Zealands new domestic violence legislation.

The Minister of Justice, Hon D.A.M. Graham, who is representing New Zealand at the conference, said a number of Commonwealth delegates had requested copies of the Domestic Violence Act following his contribution to the debate on violence against women.

Many Commonwealth Ministers expressed concern at the amount of domestic violence in their countries and supported the Canadian suggestion that the matter be discussed at the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna next month.

Mr Graham described the new protection orders available under the legislation, the restrictions on access to children where one parent is proved to be violent and the widening of the definition of abuse to include psychological abuse.

It is clear that this is a worldwide problem and it is pleasing to see New Zealand is ahead of most countries, he said.

The Domestic Violence Act will come into force as soon as the necessary regulations have been promulgated.

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