An Act to provide greater protection for victims of domestic violence by empowering the Court to grant a protection order and for other related matters.

The bill defines domestic violence as any controlling or abusive behaviour in a domestic relationship that harms or may harm the health, safety or well-being of a person or a child regardless of gender or sexuality and includes but is not limited to the following:
(a) physical abuse or threats of physical abuse;
(b) sexual abuse or threats of sexual abuse;
(c) emotional, verbal or psychological abuse;
(d) economic abuse;
(e) intimidation;
(f) harassment;
(g) stalking;
(h) ill-treating or threatening to ill-treat any person who has a close relationship with the applicant even though that relationship may not be a domestic relationship;
(i) causing or threatening to cause damage to or destruction of property; or
(j) entry into the applicant’s residence without consent, where the parties do not share the same residence.