Push for NSW parliamentary debate into Clare’s Law

Time is running out for the Minns government to take action on a register for domestic violence offenders that would allow people to confidently check if their partner has a history of abuse. Have your say.

Time is running out for the Minns government to take action on a register for domestic violence offenders that would allow people to confidently check if their partner has a history of abuse.

The push for the parliament to debate Clare’s Law, also known as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, has just two days left until it closes on Tuesday but risks failing at the final hurdle, advocates warn.

Introduced in the United Kingdom in 2014 after domestic violence victim Clare Wood was killed by a partner who was known to police, the reform has stalled in NSW for more than a decade.

The Good Warrior founder and DV survivor Jo Cooper has renewed calls for the scheme by launching a government petition that needs 20,000 signatories by July 22 to force a parliamentary debate. As of Sunday, the petition is just 1000 signatures short.

“This isn’t just for me. It’s for every daughter, every mother, every friend, every person who deserves to feel safe,” Ms Cooper said.

The Good Warrior founder and DV survivor Jo Cooper. Picture: Christian Gilles

“Clare’s Law gives people the information they need to make lifesaving decisions.

“We are in a crisis, yet we’re still stuck in reaction mode, waiting for someone to be killed before we act.”

Clare’s Law allows people to make a confidential, formal application to police to find out if their partner has a known history of violence or abuse, recorded in a private register.

The scheme would allow people to check if their partner has a history of abuse. Picture: NSW Police

Ms Cooper said the proposed scheme would adopt lessons learnt from the UK and South Australia, where a similar program launched in 2018 has since been made permanent, including strict turnaround times for applications and mandatory referrals to domestic violence services with every disclosure.

Opposition spokeswoman for the prevention of domestic violence, Natasha Maclaren-Jones, said the government should support a debate on the law, given “the way people meet and engage has changed” with online dating apps and social media.

“The Minns Labor Government needs to take action on this important issue to ensure people feel safe and are safe in any relationship,” Ms Maclaren-Jones said.

However, a government spokeswoman said Labor had not supported a disclosure scheme to date due to the evidence against it, which indicates that a “scheme could create a false sense of security and (is) not necessarily an effective preventive measure in supporting women’s safety”.