Parliament is working on the Criminal Law (coercive control and affirmative consent) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill, which would make coercive control an offence.
NSW was the first jurisdiction in Australia to pass the law, with coercive control to become a criminal offence in the state from July.
Premier Steven Miles confirmed the government was working on passing the laws on X (formally Twitter) last night.
“Parliament is lit up purple for Queensland Women’s Week,” Miles said.
“Inside, we’re working on our coercive control and affirmative consent laws.
“It’s called walking the walk.”
The inquiry found there were numerous opportunities to help Clarke before she was burned to death in her car while taking her children to school by estranged partner Rowan Baxter in 2020.
However, it also found police officers had overall acted appropriately in handling the matter.
Clarke’s parents welcomed the passage of the new legislation.
“It’s important that these behaviours are captured in modern legislation,” Sue and Lloyd Clarke said in a statement last year.
What will the law criminalise?
According to the Queensland Government, it will criminalise the conduct of an adult if they are in a domestic relationship with another person, and is found to have done any of the following.
- Engages in a course of conduct against the other person that consists of domestic violence occurring on more than one occasion.
- The person intends the course of conduct to coerce or control the other person.
- The course of conduct would, in all the circumstances, be reasonably likely to cause the other person harm (with ‘harm’ defined in the Bill to mean any detrimental effect on the person’s physical, emotional, financial, psychological or mental well-being, whether temporary or permanent).
The offence will carry a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment.
National Domestic Violence Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you are in immediate danger call triple zero (000).
