Last updated 14 March 2022

The Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 (Qld) (DFVP Act) refers to:

  • a protection order (an order made once a final decision by the court has been made)
  • a temporary protection order (a temporary order while a court decides whether to make a (final) protection order).

A protection order can continue for any period of time the court considers necessary and desirable to protect the aggrieved, but if not expressly stated in the order, for five years after the day the order is made. 

The period of time can be less than five years only if the court is satisfied there are reasons for doing so, and the court must give reasons for doing so (s 97 DFVP Act).

Urgent orders

Urgent orders may be made to protect the aggrieved even if the respondent is not present in court or is not notified about an application for a domestic violence order (ss 23(4), 27(b), 40 DFVP Act). These orders are described as ex parte orders (i.e. the order is considered by the court without the parties there or only one party (the aggrieved) present). These types of applications occur where the serious nature of the allegations in the application warrant an order being made prior to the respondent being served and knowing about the application.

The aggrieved is required to establish that an urgent order is necessary or desirable.

Consent orders

The respondent may choose to agree to, or not oppose, the court making or varying a domestic violence order—this is referred to as an order by consent (s 51 DFVP Act). 

The respondent does not have to admit to the facts in the application or agree with the aggrieved’s side of the story for the court to make consent orders.

For an order by consent, the court must be satisfied that a relevant relationship exists between the aggrieved and the respondent (s 51(1)(a) DFVP Act). The court does not need to be satisfied that domestic violence has occurred or that the order is necessary or desirable to protect the aggrieved from domestic violence (s 51(1)(b) DFVP Act).

The court may refuse to make or vary a domestic violence order by consent if the court believes the making or varying of the order may pose a risk to the safety of the aggrieved, any named person or any child affected by the order (s 51(6) DFVP Act).

If a police officer is making an application for a domestic violence order with the consent of the respondent, the consent of the aggrieved is usually also required but there are circumstances where that is not necessary (s 51(3) DFVP Act).  

Intervention orders

A court can also make an intervention order when it is making or varying a domestic violence order.

An intervention order is directed towards the respondent and requires them to attend an approved intervention program and/or counselling (s 69 DFVP Act) to address their violent behaviour. This order can only be made with the respondent’s consent (s 71 DFVP Act). The intervention order can only be made if there is an appropriate program or counselling available at a reasonably convenient location to the respondent. For details of available intervention programs in Queensland see the Queensland Government website Find Local Support.

Police protection notices

When police attend a place where domestic and family violence is occurring or has occurred and if the respondent is present, they can issue a police protection notice to the respondent. This notice immediately requires the respondent to be of good behaviour towards the aggrieved and any named person, and to not commit domestic violence. If the named person is a child, the respondent must also not expose the child to domestic violence. If the attending officers believe it is reasonable and necessary to protect the aggrieved from domestic violence, they may include:

  • a 24-hour cool-down condition on the notice (s 107 DFVP Act). This condition requires the respondent to leave the home and not contact the aggrieved or named person for a period of time not exceeding 24 hours
  • a no-contact condition (s 107A DFVP Act). In addition to the above requirements, this condition also requires the respondent to not locate the aggrieved’s whereabouts if unknown to the respondent
  • an ouster condition, which stops the respondent from approaching or entering the stated premises (s 107B DFVP Act). 
  • a return condition, which allows the respondent under police supervision to return to the premises to recover certain personal property (s 107C DFVP Act).

Prior to issuing the notice, the police officer must obtain approval from a supervising police officer and also reasonably believe that:

  • the respondent has committed the domestic violence
  • there is no current police protection order or domestic violence order in place between the aggrieved and the respondent
  • the notice is desirable or necessary to protect the aggrieved
  • the respondent should not be taken into custody (ss 101, 102 DFVP Act).

After the police protection notice is made, a copy of the notice must be filed by the police officer at the local Magistrates Court. Filing of the notice is taken to be an application for a domestic violence order made by a police officer. Where a notice has been issued and an order is then made in the court, the notice remains in force until the order is served on the respondent and becomes enforceable (s 111 DFVP Act).

Breaching a police protection notice is an offence with a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment or 120 penalty units (presently $137.85 per unit as at 1 July 2021). Police also have the power to arrest a person without a warrant for breaching a police protection notice (more information on how police can respond to domestic violence is published on the Queensland Police website).