WLS in the media

Media Enquiries

For media enquiries visit our Media Releases page or contact our Executive Officer, Helen Campbell, on 02 8745 6900 or on 0415 296 392.

2023

September 2023

• Media Mention: ‘Terrifying’: What happens when police officers abuse their partners
  SMH 1 September 2023 

August 2023

• Media Mention: Experts call for a justice system overhaul to better support victim-survivors of sexual assault
  ABC News 29 August 2023
• Media Mention: Domestic violence perpetrators are weaponising subpoenas and advocates want Australia’s law changed to stop it
  The Guardian 19 August 2023
• Media Mention: Drew Douglas died in Sydney after a delayed police response. New figures highlight a growing problem
  ABC News 19 August 2023

June 2023

• Media Mention: Police who face DV charges investigated by colleagues, keep weapons 
  SMH 15 June 2023

March 2023

• Media Mention: Call for a more diverse family law workforce
  Law Society of NSW Journal 17 March 2023

2022

October 2022

• Media Mention: Coercive Control: NSW Bill on DV changers to go before Upper House next week
  ABC News 31 October 2022
• Media Mention: Push to give sexual assault complainants ‘complete immunity’ from defamation suits
  SMH 3 October 2022

March 2022

• Media Mention: Advocates speak up against harassment
  SBS News 18 March 2022

January 2022

• Article: Affirmative consent: What the ‘common sense’ NSW law reforms mean
  Law Society of NSW Journal 31 January 2022

2021

November 2021

• Media Mention: ‘New court initiatives help uncover higher prevalence of family violence and other risks’
  Mirage News 10 November 2021

September 2021

• Media Mention: Federal Government accused of ignoring another Respect@Work recommendation
  ABC Radio National Breakfast 17 September 2021

June 2021

• Media Mention: Sexual assaults reported to police, spike ‘sharply’ amid public reckoning
  9 news 10 June 2021

May 2021

• Media Mention: Are AVOs Worth The Paper They’re Written On?
  The Quicky by Mamamia, 11 May 2021

 

• Media Mention: Experts still waiting for specialised rape courts 15 years after taskforce created
  The Telegraph 8 May 2021

 

• Media Mention: More NSW Police officers charged with domestic violence as victims face ongoing problems getting help
  ABC News, 10 May 2021

April 2021

• Media Mention: ‘Massive problem’ Australia is ignoring
  Sunshine Coast Daily, 30 April 2021
• Media Mention: “Massive increase” in domestic violence legal aid prompts funding call
  The Daily Advertiser, 27 April 2021
• Media Mention: The findings of two significant Coronial Inquests
  The Law Report, 13 April 2021
• Media Mention: ‘Tsunami’ of women seeking legal help and services can’t keep up
  SMH, 13 April 2021

March 2021

• Media Mention: Barriers to justice: ‘We are still governed by the idea that women lie about sexual assault’
  The Guardian, 20 March 2021
• Media Mention: Coercive control underpins most domestic violence deaths but making it illegal is complicated
  ABC News, 1 March 2021

February 2021

• Media Mention: Holistic reform’ key to NSW’s DV response
  Bega District News, 24 February 2021
• Media Mention: NSW police response to DV ‘needs fixing’
  Sound Telegraph, 23 February 2021
• Article: Strengthening protections for people experiencing sexual and domestic violence
  Law Society of NSW Journal, 1 February 2021

January 2021

• Media mention: Hayne, de Belin trial outcomes could deter sexual assault victims from pursuing charges
  SMH, 2 January 2021

2020

November 2020

• Media mention: Sexual consent laws face overhaul to address ‘freeze response’
  SMH, 18 November 2020

October 2020

• Media mention: ‘Second-class citizens’: Call for action over the Australian visa the UN says is a problem
  ABC News, 31 October 2020

• Media mention: Deaths in custody: David Dungay’s mother tells NSW parliament ‘the system is broken’
  The Guardian, 27 October 2020

• Media mention: ‘Why don’t they just leave?’ Domestic violence court reforms proposed to dispel myths
  SMH, 21 October 2020

• Letter to the editor: Consulting on coercive control
  Law Society of NSW Journal, October 2020

• Media mention: Australia is not ready to criminalise coercive control – here’s why
  The Conversation, 1 October 2020

September 2020

• Media mention: ‘Worst is yet to come’: Legal services desperate for money ahead of domestic violence wave 
  SMH, 30 September 2020

• Opinion piece: Why we need a thorough consultation process on how to effectively address coercive controlling violence
  Liz Snell, Women’s Legal Service NSW, 23 September 2020

• Media mention: ‘Incredible pressure’: Thousands of women turned away from domestic violence legal services
  SMH, 22 September 2020

• Media mention: NSW Parliament to consider new DV laws
  Canberra Times, 18 September 2020

June 2020

• Media mention: NSW victims of crime now have a new obstacle to collecting compensation,
  Crikey, 29 June 2020

• Media mention: Victims of violent crime alarmed at changes to victims support scheme,
  The Sun Herald, 28 June 2020

May 2020

• Media mention: Slain Wife Had an AVO
  Daily Telegraph, 22 May 2020

• Media mention: Domestic Violence Victims to Gather Own Evidence Under Reform
  Sydney Morning Herald, 22 May 2020

• Media mention: Fury as Carr Cuts DV Probe Short
  Daily Telegraph, 21 May 2020

April 2020

• Media mention: Victims Of Violence Will Now Have To Gather Evidence Themselves To Get Compensation In NSW,
  BuzzFeed News, 28 April 2020

March 2020

• Media mention: Urgent letter to NSW gov: Act on damning child protection review,
  NITV, 2 March 2020

February 2020

• Media mention: Women’s court advocates face growing domestic violence referrals,
  SMH, February 27, 2020

2019

October 2019

• Media mention: New tenancy laws offer victims of domestic violence a way out
  The Big Smoke, Australia, 5 October 2019
  

September 2019

• Media mention: Video shows One Nation Senator Malcolm Roberts blaming family law system for male violence
  ABC News, 21 September 2019

 

• Media mention: ‘Flawed’, ‘window dressing’, ‘bargaining chip’: Family lawyers rubbish new inquiry
  Lawyers Weekly, 19 September 2019

 

•  A fraction of fathers lose access to their kids: why the Family Court isn’t anti-men
  SMH 18 September 2019

 

• Media mention: ‘Stitch Up’: Labor and Greens fail to stop family law inquiry,
  SMH 20 September 2019

August 2019

• Media mention: Community legal centres in NSW outraged by funding cuts to early intervention programs
  ABC News 30 August 2019

May 2019

• Media mention: Doctors, Lawyers And Nurses Just Launched A Push To Decriminalise Abortion In New South Wales
  ABC BuzzFeed News 2 May 2019

April 2019

• Media mention: ‘Woefully inadequate’: harsher penalties and legal overhaul recommended to target sexual harassment
  Sydney Morning Herald, 1 April 2019

March 2019

• Journal Article: New tenancy reforms strengthen the rights of domestic violence victims
  Kellie McDonald, Law Society Journal of NSW, March 2019

February 2019

• Journal Article: Stalking and abuse in the digital age: what you can do to protect your clients
  Helen Campbell OAM, Law Society Journal of NSW, February 2019

2018

December 2018

• Media mention: Supermarket went to ‘extraordinary lengths’ for sacked domestic violence survivor,
  Sydney Morning Herald, December 2018

• Media mention: A day in the life of Carolyn Jones, Senior Solicitor, Women’s Legal Service NSW,
  Law Society of NSW Journal, December 2018

November 2018

• Media mention: A new bill could make abortion law in NSW even more complicated
  SBS News, 15 November 2018

• Media mention: New plan to stem prison numbers,
  Law Society of NSW Journal, November 2018

October 2018

• Media mention: Charges pending over unborn twins tragedy
  The Australian, 2 October 2018

June 2018

• Media mention: Tenancy reforms help women leave violence
  City News, 6 June 2018

May 2018

• Media mention: Shame and fear silence Northern Rivers rape victims
  The Northern Star, 4 May 2018

March 2018

• Radio interview: Avenues for compensation around family violence
  The Law Report, ABC Radio, 27 March 2018

2017

December 2017

• Media mention: Family Wars (page 33)
  The Law Society of NSW Journal, December 2017

August 2017

• Media mention: Give DV victims a chance to flee, lawyers tell government
  Lawyers Weekly, 18 August 2017

• Journal article: Recording and sharing intimate images without consent 
  or read on the Law Society website (page 80)
  Liz Snell, The Law Society of NSW Journal, August 2017

June 2017

• Media mention: Hi-tech stalking of women rises as one in five report harassment
  The Daily Telegraph, 17 June 2017

• Media mention: Frontline domestic violence services face uncertainty
  ABC Radio National Breakfast, 17 June 2017

May 2017

• Media mention: Foreign brides win right to stay in Australia after domestic violence allegations
  The Daily Telegraph, 16 May 2017

2016

November 2016

• Media mention: Dixie Link-Gordon: ‘Violence is woven into Australia’
  The Guardian, 23 November 2016

• Journal article: “Sense and Sensitivity: Therapeutic records in family law proceedings”
  or read on the Law Society website (page 72)
  Carolyn Jones, The Law Society of NSW Journal, November 2016

October 2016

• Media mention: Details emerge on domestic-violence program
  SBS News, 28 October 2016

• Media mention: Turnbull calls Australia’s domestic violence ‘a disgrace’
  SBS News, 28 October 2016

September 2016

• Journal article: “Proposed Tenancy Reforms: Improve rights for DV victims”
  or read on the Law Society website (page 75)
  Kellie McDonald, The Law Society of NSW Journal, September 2016

August 2016

• Media mention: Confidentiality in family law requires more clarity
  Lawyers Weekly , 23 August 2016

July 2016

• Media mention: “One mother’s view on fast-track adoption: ‘I want my children back'”
  The Sun Herald, 10 July 2016

• Media mention: “Breaking the lease: domestic violence and residential tenancy”
  Life Matters, 6 July 2016

• Media mention: Domestic violence victims given the power to terminate rental contracts early
  SMH, 5 July 2016

June 2016

• Media mention: “Can video or audio recordings be used in Family Court?”
  The Law Report, 28 June 2016
  

• Media mention: “Female imprisonment numbers soar amid calls to free the majority of inmates”
  SMH, 18 June 2016

May 2016

• Media mention: Is Australia Slowly Getting Its Act Together Against Revenge Porn?
  Junkee, 27 May 2016

April 2016

• Journal article: “Safety in family law”
  Janet Loughman, Alternative Law Journal, April 2016

February 2016

• Media mention: “Years of ADVOs failed to protect allegedly murdered mother of five Sharon Michelutti”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 7 February 2016

January 2016

• Media mention: “Don’t call it ‘revenge porn’, victims’ groups say”
  Crikey, 15 January 2016

• Media mention: “Top prosecutor warns Australia’s revenge porn laws are too weak to properly protect women”
  News.com.au, 10 January 2016

2015

December 2015

• Media mention: “Domestic violence complainant charged with contempt”
  Sun Herald, 20 December 2015

• Media mention: “Legal firm welcomes Royal Commission report”
  ABC Local, 16 December 2015

• Media mention: “Public allegations of domestic violence carry risks, experts warn”
  Daily Life, 16 December 2015

• Media mention: “Family Court – calls for reform”
  ABC Radio: The Wold Today, 8 December 2015

November 2015

• Media mention: “Domestic violence legal services at Penrith Court face closure”
  The Daily Telegraph, 24 November 2015

• Media mention:“Women in Prison: The Hidden Story”
  or read on the Law Society website (page 28)
  The Law Society of NSW Journal, November 2015

October 2015

• Media mention: “Laws to prevent ex-lovers who distribute ‘revenge porn’ are inadequate, a NSW inquiry hears”
  ABC News, 30 October 2015

June 2015

• Journal article: “Technology-Facilitated Stalking and Abuse: Putting our Legal Framework to the Test”
  or read on the Law Society website (page 78)
  Charissa Sun, The Law Society of NSW Journal, June 2015

May 2015

• Media mention: “Video evidence for domestic violence victims a ‘game changer’ says Andrew Scipione”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 31 May 2015

• Media mention: “Community legal service cuts bound to hurt”
  Penrith City Gazette, 27 May 2015

• Media mention: “Legal aid overhaul could ‘hinder help for victims of domestic violence’”
  The Australian, 20 May 2015

March 2015

• Media mention: “Indigenous Australian women still fighting discrimination”
  SBS NITV, 6 March 2015

February 2015

• Journal article: “10 laws that need to change in 2015 – Victims Rights”
  or read on the Law Society website
  Mari Vagg and Liz Snell, The Law Society of NSW Journal, February 2015

January 2015

• Media mention: “NSW Police fail victims of domestic violence with flippant social media post”
  Daily Life, 20 January 2015

2014

December 2014

• Journal article: “Women victims of violence defending intervention orders”
  Alicia Jillard and Julia Mansour, Alternative Law Journal, Vol 39(4), 2014

• Media mention: “Surrogacy Explored”
  Law Society Journal, December 2014 (at page 16)

November 2014

• Media mention: “If your friend is receiving abusive texts, show her this”
  Mama Mia, 22 November 2014

October 2014

• News article: “Royal commission legal demand ended NSW delay on abuse payout”
  The Australian, 30 October 2014

• News article: “Crown tells abuse victims sorry”
  SBS News, 30 October 2014

• News article: “Allegations heard that Crown involved in hiding crucial evidence from victims of child sex abuse”
  The Daily Telegraph, 29 October 2014

• News report (audio): “Crown solicitor lawyer says surveillance of Bethcar abuse victims could have helped state’s case”
  PM – ABC Radio, 28 October 2014

• News article:  “Government lawyer: I was wrong to fight sex abuse victims of notorious Bethcar Children’s Home, Brewarrina”
  The Daily Telegraph, 28 October 2014

• News article:  “NSW gets $3.7 million abuse lesson”
  The Herald Sun, 24 October 2014

• Media mention: “Fondling breasts of girl, 14, ‘not sexual'”
  SBS News, 24 October 2014

• Media mention (audio): “Crown solicitors accused of ‘rank hypocrisy’ over Bethcar abuse litigation”
  PM ABC News, 23 October 2014

• Media mention: “NSW government tried to ‘wear down’ women abused in state foster home” 
  The Guardian, 23 October 2014 

• Media mention: “NSW ‘no model’ for abuse cases”                                                     SBS News, 24 October 2014

• Media mention: “NSW government solicitor admits flaw in handling of compensation cases”
  The Guardian, 23 October 2014

• Media mention: “State lawyers accused of trying to wear down 15 sex abuse victims in hope they ‘would go away’ royal commission told”
  The Daily Telegraph, 23 October 2014

• Media mention:”NSW promises flexibility on abuse cases”
  Yahoo 7 News, 23 October 2014

• Media mention: “NSW lacked ‘compassion’ for abuse victims”
  SBS News, 23 October 2014

• Media mention: “State’s lawyers refused to acknowledge sex abuse of Aboriginal girls to avoid liability, royal commission hears”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 23 October 2014

• Media mention: “NSW government lawyers accused of ‘wearing the plaintiffs down’ over child abuse allegations”
  ABC News, 23 October 2014

• Media mention (audio): “Royal commission: Aboriginal children abused by owner of children’s home”
  The World Today – ABC Radio, 22 October 2014

• Media mention: “Sex abuse victim tells royal commission the NSW government legal strategy seemed ‘like they wanted to drag out our hurt'”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 22 October 2014

• Media mention: “Abuse inquiry hears of NSW horror house”
  7 News, 22 October 2014

• Media mention: “Girl, 5, raped and flogged for being late for dinner at foster home, inquiry told”
  The Guardian, 22 October 2014

• Media mention: “State government solicitor planed secret surveillance of sex abuse victims, royal commission hears”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 22 October 2014

• Media mention: “NSW abuse victims put through legal hell”
  SBS News, 22 October 2014

• Media mention: “Bethcar Children’s Home: Resident broke own arm to escape sexual abuse, royal commission told”
  ABC News, 22 October 2014

• Media mention: “Reforms to NSW domestic violence laws empower victims”
  The Australian, 21 October 2014

• Media mention: “Body-mounted police cameras to be used as domestic violence evidence”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 20 October 2014

• Media mention: “High-tech stalking the new front in domestic violence”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 19 October 2014

September 2014

• The Australian Medical Association (NSW) made a video based on the GP Toolkit for doctors on providing care to victims of domestic violence.

August 2014

• Media mention: “Women ‘may fall prey’ to birth pay”
  The Australian, 25 August 2014

July 2014

• Media mention: “I’m sure my song can outsell misogynist Robin Thicke’s tanking album”
  The Sunday Telegraph, 20 July 2014

• Media mention: “Family violence lobby joins court reform push”
  The Australian, 18 July 2014

June 2014

• Television Interview: Senior Solicitor Alira Morey speaking about the parliamentary Inquiry into Child Support
  ABC News 24, 27 June 2014

• News article: “New police powers allow on-the-spot AVOs in NSW domestic violence cases”
  ABC News, 3 June 2014

May 2014

• News article: “Does someone hurt you at home?”
  NSW Doctor, June-July 2011 

• News article: “Doctors have duty to act on suspicions of domestic violence”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 2 May 2014

• News article: “GP toolkit for domestic violence”
  Medical Journal of Australia, Vol 20, Issue 8, 2014

April 2014

• Media mention: “Doctors better equipped”
  Prime News, 3 April 2014

March 2014

• News article: “Legal dirty tricks drag out domestic victim trauma: advocates”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 29 March 2014

• News article: ‘Better understanding needed: detailed analysis required for AVO figures to be more accurate’ (At page 14.)
  Western Weekender, 21 March 2014

• News article: “Child protection measures too strict for domestic violence women”
  The World Today, ABC Radio National, 20 March 2014

• News article: “NSW child protection to fast-track adoption for vulnerable kids”
  AM, ABC News Radio, 20 March 2014

• News article: “O’Farrell government plan to tackle domestic violence offenders through GPS tracking”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 15 March 2014

• News article: “Frontline police now ‘better equipped’ to deal with domestic violence, Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch says”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 11 March 2014

• News article: “Domestic violence: police often blame victims”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 10 March 2014

• News article: “Zoe’s law bill delayed in NSW upper house amid abortion fears”
  Sydney Morning Herald, 7 March 2014