New Zealand Law & Domestic Violence

The Family Violence Act 2018

This is the key NZ law about family violence, which superseded the Domestic Violence Act 1995 on 1 July 2019. Most of the Act did not change, as it continues to provide for protection orders, property orders, Police safety orders, safety programmes for adults and children who experience family violence, and non-violence programmes for adults who perpetrate family violence.

More information about these orders provided by the Family Violence Act: 

Read about paid domestic violence leave, and other workplace entitlements provided by this law.

There are many other laws that relate to domestic violence in some way within various settings, such as criminal justice, child protection, information sharing etc, including the Crimes Act, the Sentencing Act, the Privacy Act, the Vulnerable Children Act, etc.