Four Tasmanian women's services have united to speak out against the federal family law inquiry, saying it's unnecessary and that previous recommendations to government need to be adopted immediately.
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Women's Legal Service Tasmania, Sexual Assault Support Service, Engender Equality and Hobart Women's Shelter joined forces on Friday to voice their opposition to the review of Australia's family law system.
One Nation senator Pauline Hanson, who has claimed that some women lie during custody battles in the Family Court, will serve as deputy chair of the inquiry.
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The inquiry was announced just five months after Attorney-General Christian Porter tabled the Australian Law Reform Commission's own review into the system, including 60 recommendations for reform.
Women's Legal Service Tasmania chief executive Yvette Cehtel called for one particular recommendation from the ALRC to be "immediately" implemented: that is, for there to be consistent requirements for legal practitioners involved in the family law system to undertake annual training in dealing with family violence matters.
"We can't assume lawyers and family consultants employed in the family law system actually do have a contemporary understanding of family violence," she said.
Ms Cehtel said the system as it currently stood was not "trauma-informed".
This was backed up by family violence survivor Natalie Hocking, of Hobart, who said her experience in the Family Court had been "isolating".
She described one instance where she started to break down emotionally in court.
"My lawyer turned [to me] and said, 'It's best you don't cry - it's best to keep the emotion out of it'," Ms Hocking said.
"There's no-one [there] to support you."
Engender Equality chief executive Alina Thomas said Australia needed to "move forward" in its response to family violence.
"Holding a review is just keeping us away from confronting the reality that the system ... needs big changes to be able to make it more fair and more safe," she said.