Family Violence Act 2018

If you need more information about this Act, please contact the administering agency: Ministry of Justice
9 Meaning of family violence

(1)

In this Act, family violence, in relation to a person, means violence inflicted—

(a)

against that person; and

(b)

by any other person with whom that person is, or has been, in a family relationship.

(2)

In this section, violence means all or any of the following:

(a)

physical abuse:

(b)

sexual abuse:

(c)

psychological abuse.

(3)

Violence against a person includes a pattern of behaviour (done, for example, to isolate from family members or friends) that is made up of a number of acts that are all or any of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and psychological abuse, and that may have 1 or both of the following features:

(a)

it is coercive or controlling (because it is done against the person to coerce or control, or with the effect of coercing or controlling, the person):

(b)

it causes the person, or may cause the person, cumulative harm.

(4)

Violence against a person may be dowry-related violence (that is, violence that arises solely or in part from concerns about whether, how, or how much any gifts, goods, money, other property, or other benefits are—

(a)

given to or for a party to a marriage or proposed marriage; and

(b)

received by or for the other party to the marriage or proposed marriage).

(5)

Subsection (2) is not limited by subsections (3) and (4) and must be taken to include references to, and so must be read with, sections 10 and 11.

Compare: 1995 No 86 s 3(1), (2)