InBrief

Commonwealth Attorney-General Robert McClelland has announced the terms of reference for an inquiry to address issues concerning violence against women and their children. The ALRC will focus on a number of matters, including: the interaction in practice of state and territory family violence and child protection laws with the Family Law Act 1975 and relevant Commonwealth, state and territory criminal laws; and the impact of inconsistent interpretation or application of laws in cases of sexual assault occurring in a family violence context, including rules of evidence, on victims of such violence. The commission has welcomed the inquiry and will report no later than 31 July 2010.

24 July 2009