Crimes (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2026

J2025-1308 Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au 2026 THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY (As presented) (Minister for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence) Crimes (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2026 Contents Page 1 Name of Act 2 2 Commencement 2 3 Legislation amended 2 4 Offences against Act—application of Criminal Code etc Section 7A, note 1, new dot point 2 5 New part 3B 2 6 New part 21 5 7 Dictionary, definition of conduct 6 8 Dictionary, new definitions 6

Contents Page contents 2 Crimes (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2026 Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au Schedule 1 Consequential amendments 7 Part 1.1 Ombudsman Act 1989 7 Part 1.2 Victims of Crime (Financial Assistance) Act 2016 7

J2025-1308 Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au 2026 THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY (As presented) (Minister for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence) Crimes (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2026 A Bill for An Act to amend the Crimes Act 1900, and for other purposes The Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory enacts as follows:

Section 1 page 2 Crimes (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2026 Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au 1 Name of Act1 This Act is the Crimes (Coercive Control) Amendment Act 2026.2 2 Commencement3 (1) Sections 3 and 6 commence on the day after this Act’s notification4 day.5 Note The naming and commencement provisions automatically commence on6 the notification day (see Legislation Act, s 75 (1)).7 (2) The remaining provisions commence 2 years after this Act’s8 notification day.9 3 Legislation amended10 This Act amends the Crimes Act 1900 and the legislation mentioned11 in schedule 1.12 4 Offences against Act—application of Criminal Code etc13 Section 7A, note 1, new dot point14 insert15 • s 72J (Coercive control of family member)16 5 New part 3B17 insert18 Part 3B Coercive control19 72I Definitions—pt 3B20 In this part:21 conduct means an act or an omission to do an act.22 course of conduct includes—23 (a) conduct that is repeated or continuous or both; and24

Section 5 Crimes (Coercive Control) Amendment Bill 2026 page 3 Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au (b) a series of incidents of conduct that do not occur in immediate1 succession or form an unbroken series.2 family member, of a person—see the Family Violence Act 2016,3 section 9.4 harm—see the Criminal Code, dictionary.5 72J Coercive control of family member6 (1) A person commits an offence if—7 (a) the person is an adult; and8 (b) the person engages in a course of conduct consisting of family9 violence against a family member of the person; and10 (c) the person intends the course of conduct to coerce or control the11 family member; and12 (d) a reasonable person would, in all the circumstances, consider the13 course of conduct likely to result in harm to, or fear of harm in,14 the family member or someone else.15 Maximum penalty: 700 penalty units, imprisonment for 7 years or16 both.17 (2) For subsection (1) (b)—18 (a) a course of conduct may consist of family violence if it consists19 of any combination of incidents of family violence; and20 (b) whether a course of conduct consisting of family violence exists21 must be assessed by considering the totality of the conduct.22 (3) Subsection (1) does not apply if the course of conduct was reasonable23 in all the circumstances.24 Note The defendant has an evidential burden in relation to the matter25 mentioned in s (3) (see Criminal Code, s 58).26