3. Tell us your views

3.1​We promote and support all Victorians having a say about law reform and contributing to our law reform projects. To ensure our work is informed by the views and experiences of the community, we engage with the community in several ways, including receiving written submissions from the community.

3.2​We welcome responses from anyone in the Victorian community. Your views help us to draw conclusions and make recommendations which are practical and which reflect the wishes of the Victorian community.

3.3​For this project, we want to hear from a wide range of people, including:

•​people who have had lived experience of the FVIO system, or other court or legal processes as a young person

•​parents, carers, family members and others who have supported children and young people who have experienced these processes

•​professionals and organisations who work with, support, or advocate for children and young people, or who work within the justice and family violence service systems

•​other community members who have an interest in this law reform topic.

3.4​We seek the views of people and groups who have unique perspectives and experiences of the law as children or young people, or who may face challenges having their young voices heard. We actively seek the views of First Peoples, young people, people from Victoria’s multicultural communities, people with disability, LGBTIQA+ Victorians and people from Victoria’s rural and regional communities.

3.5​The Commission is committed to consulting with the Victorian community in a way which is inclusive, accessible, culturally competent, youth-centred and trauma-informed. To do this, we have obtained ethics approval for this project.^[224]

Make a submission

3.6​We invite you to make a submission by Friday, 16 October 2026.

3.7​Any contribution is welcome, large or small.

3.8​We recommend that you use the questions in this paper to guide your submission. However, you may also respond to the terms of reference more generally, instead of answering these questions. You do not have to answer every question, nor make your submission in a particular format.

3.9​For submissions to be considered, they must relate to the issues raised in the terms of reference and in this paper.

3.10​Stage 1 of this project, which looked at reforms relating to young people ageing out of FVIOs at age 18, has been completed. This means that the Commission will not be further addressing this issue at Stage 2 of this project.

3.11​We may accept submissions received after the closing date. However, we will not be able to consider the information in them in as much detail as a submission which is made on time.

​You can make a submission by:

•​Email: FVIOs.children@lawreform.vic.gov.au

•​Mail: Victorian Law Reform Commission

GPO PO Box 4637

Melbourne VIC 3001.

How else can I share my views?

3.12​If you are from an organisation and you wish to consult with us in person, please send a request to FVIOs.children@lawreform.vic.gov.au.

3.13​If you would like to share your views in a different way, please email us at FVIOs.children@lawreform.vic.gov.au. We can talk to you about how you may be able to share your views with us.

3.14​If you are a young person who has lived experience of the FVIO system and you want to share your views with us, you should talk to a trusted adult first. They can help you understand what participating in this project will involve, and help you to decide if you would like to do this, More information about this is available here. If you decide you would like to share your views with us, please contact us at: FVIOs.children@lawreform.vic.gov.au

3.15​We can give you more information about the different ways young people can participate in this project. This could include meeting with us to discuss your views or completing a confidential online form sharing your experiences.

3.16​We understand that family violence is a topic which can be confronting or distressing. If you need support, see the services listed at page 3, and on our Family violence – get support or legal advice webpage.

3.17​The Commission is an independent law reform body. We do not provide legal advice or assistance. If you require legal advice or information, you can find some services on this webpage too.

224. ​This research was approved by Iris Ethics HREC – S00167 on 15 June 2026. All procedures were conducted in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2025).

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