Queensland police to have power to issue on-the-spot domestic violence protection orders

The Queensland government says it will allow police officers to issue instant year-long domestic violence protection orders – a proposal that experts say could put vulnerable women at greater risk of harm. The state’s police minister, Dan Purdie, says the plan would save “hundreds of thousands of hours” of police time. But domestic and family violence experts and victims’ advocates say handing police the power to issue on-the-spot orders – avoiding the need for a time-consuming court process – risks compounding problems caused by the widespread police misidentification of victims in DFV matters. Heather Douglas, a law professor at the

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