Bail and sentencing options have changed with commencement of the final tranche of amendments under the Family Violence Legislation Reform Act 2024.
From 18 December 2024 Bail authorities can impose electronic monitoring as part of bail and sentencing conditions for certain family violence offenders. In some cases, an electronic monitoring condition must be applied.
Bail
Schedule 1 of the Bail Act 1982 creates a rebuttable presumption against bail being granted for certain offences. For offences in these categories, the presumption can be rebutted if there are exceptional reasons why the accused should not be kept in custody and the bail authority is satisfied that bail may properly be granted.
The amendments create new circumstances where the presumption applies, namely to family violence offences as defined in clause 3F(1A) and offenders who have been declared a serial family violence offender as defined in s 3 of the Act. In these cases, bail can only be granted by a judicial officer and must include an electronic monitoring condition.
Clause 3G creates a rebuttable presumption against bail for a person charged with a family violence offence (category A) as defined in the clause who is bound by a family violence restraining order that protects a victim of the current offence. In these cases, bail can only be granted by a judicial officer and must include an electronic monitoring condition. See Schedule 1 Part D and Part E.
Sentencing
When the court is sentencing:
- for a family violence offence and the offender has been declared a serial family violence offender, if making a CSI the court must impose an electronic monitoring requirement unless satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances;
- an offender who has been declared a serial family violence offender, if making a PSO the court must consider and may impose an electronic monitoring requirement for the term of the PSO, and must do so if the offence is a family violence offence;
- an offender for a family violence offence or who has been declared a serial family violence offender, if when making a CBO or an ISO the court must impose an electronic monitoring requirement unless satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances.
Publication updates
The By Lawyers Magistrates Court – Criminal (WA) guide has been updated accordingly. See Bail and Sentencing.
For information on legislative amendments and publication updates arising from the previously commenced parts of the amending Act, see the By Lawyers Restraining Order (WA) guide, and our previous News & Updates post