What is — and isn’t — currently law

Coercive control is a stand-alone criminal offence — “abusive behaviour towards an intimate partner” — with a maximum penalty of 7 years. It applies to intimate partners and can also support an ADVO; examples in the statute include financial abuse, monitoring, humiliation, isolation, property damage, and restricting liberty.

Sources: NSW legislation · NSW Judicial Commission

A stand-alone offence under the Criminal Code with a maximum penalty of 14 years. It covers adults in domestic relationships — intimate partners, family, and informal carers — where there is a course of conduct intended to coerce or control and reasonably likely to cause harm.

Sources: Queensland Government · Queensland legislation

There is no current stand-alone coercive-control offence; protections currently sit within the family-violence intervention-order system. A government bill was introduced 11 August 2026 and has only had its first reading — it still needs to pass both houses and receive Royal Assent. Even if passed, the offence would not commence until March 2028. A separate opposition bill from 2025 also remains unpassed. Do not rely on this as current law.

Sources: Premier of Victoria · The Age · Federation of Community Legal Centres

Parliament has passed a law creating a stand-alone offence with a maximum penalty of 7 years for intimate-partner cases, but it is not yet in force. Coercive control is therefore not currently a stand-alone offence in South Australia.

Sources: SA Department of Human Services · SA Government Gazette

The research record identifies no stand-alone coercive-control offence. WA has been pursuing a phased consultation approach toward possible future criminalisation, rather than treating any offence as current law.

Sources: WA Hansard · WA consultation outcomes report

Tasmania has stand-alone offences for economic abuse and emotional abuse or intimidation in partner relationships, plus family-violence orders. The law has a limitation period for complaints, and the government announced proposed reforms in May 2026 — check current commencement and limitation rules before acting.

Sources: Tasmanian Family Violence Act 2004 · Premier of Tasmania

Coercive control is defined in the Domestic and Family Violence Act for domestic-violence-order purposes, but this is civil protective and evidentiary recognition rather than a stand-alone criminal charge. Courts may consider the pattern when deciding DVO applications and alleged breaches.

Sources: NT Domestic and Family Violence Act · NT Attorney-General's Department

A coercive-control bill was introduced 28 May 2026. It is not currently in force and was described as not commencing for at least two years, so it must not be treated as a current offence.

Sources: ABC News · ACT Government