Family violence victim advocates have welcomed the creation of specialist court lists in NSW but say the long-awaited measure needs to be statewide.
Adding to a host of initiatives rolled out by both major parties ahead of the March election, the coalition government on Sunday revealed a $30 million suite of measures to improve the courts' handling of family violence cases.
Dedicated lists would be implemented in three of the state's 153 courts. Which courts are yet to be determined.
"This is a step in the right direction," Domestic Violence chief executive Delia Donovan told AAP.
"If enacted correctly, it will ensure victims are not re-traumatised by the justice system."
Specialist lists would ensure wraparound services already in place were available and those in court - be it the magistrate, the lawyers or the court staff - went in with a trauma-informed lens, she said.
"Demand will show we need specialist lists across the state that are trauma-informed and help victims navigate the system."
Meanwhile, the appointment of five magistrates would be brought forward a year to July 2023 to clear a COVID-induced backlog in all criminal and civil cases. About two in five cases are family violence-related.
The government will also eventually create a dedicated family violence court, but said a feasibility study was needed to see how and where it would integrate into the justice system.
Victoria has 12 family violence courts, created after the 2016 royal commission into family violence, while Queensland has at least four since a two-year trial on the Gold Coast in 2015.
After calling for specialist lists and court for six years, Full Stop Australia chief executive Hayley Foster was "thrilled" by the new package and the inclusion of a sentencing review.
Asked if she was cynical about the timing of the government's announcement, she told AAP: "I think we'll take it."
"The nature of the political cycles are what they are but we're pleased with these measures."
"Sentences are woefully inadequate and extremely lenient.
"Whilst we need to focus on prevention, if there's no bottom line in sentencing, then we haven't got a cat's chance in hell of addressing the issues."
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the government was doing what it could to tackle a rise in domestic violence cases in NSW.
"We have an obligation as a government, but also as a people, to make sure that this ends," Mr Perrottet told reporters.
Attorney-General Mark Speakman said justice delayed was justice denied and left both complainants and defendants unsettled and disinterested.
Labor said it first proposed specialised DV courts in 2014 and criticised the government for not doing enough in the space for years.
"After 12 years in government and with domestic violence on the rise ... the best they can do is a feasibility study," deputy Labor leader Pru Car told reporters.
Labor highlighted that 73 of the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team's 122 recommendations made over the last decade had not been implemented, according to the review team's latest report.
The review team however noted 39 were considered "in progress", reflecting that many recommendations anticipate large-scale, system-wide reform.
"The Team is encouraged by the fact that work has either been completed, or is progressing, on the vast majority of its recommendations," the review team said in its 2019-21 report.
