Legal Processes and Gendered Violence: Cross-Applications for Domestic Violence Protection Orders

This article explores the increasing number of cross-applications as they relate to domestic violence in Queensland, Australia. Cross-applications occur where both parties (man and woman) seek a protection order against the other. While cross-applications are a smaller subset of claims made (the majority are made by only women), the increase calls into question the state response to domestic violence claims. Concerns including the ability to give effect to cross-applications, as well as the chance that one party will use the ability to cross- apply to pressure or coerce the other, are explored. The possibility that cross- applications trivialize the claims put forth by one party (frequently the woman) is also addressed. The author discusses the role of law enforcement in addressing these problems.