Orders the Family Justice Court make with a PPO
When a PPO is applied for or issued, the Family Justice Court can also make the following Orders:
- Counselling Order: This requires both parties to undergo mandatory or compulsory counselling sessions under the Mandatory Counselling Programme administered by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF)
- Failure to comply with a Counselling Order or attend counselling sessions is regarded as an act that is in contempt of Court (and which can be punished with a financial penalty or imprisonment)
- The main aims of the Mandatory Counselling Programme are:
- To educate both parties on how to work out conflicts and behave appropriately towards one another
- To prevent and end the family violence
- To provide victims of family violence with a source of support and assistance
- Expedited Order (EO): This is a short-term PPO that is given on an urgent basis without a full trial being conducted in Court (i.e. without evidence being formally admitted through witnesses for the Family Justice Court’s consideration)
- You must show that there is imminent danger (i.e. that family violence is about to be committed)
- The Expedited Order (EO) lasts for 28 days and can be extended by the Family Justice Court
- Domestic Exclusion Order (DEO): This requires the offender to leave your home or prohibits (i.e. disallows) the offender from entering the home or any part of the home
- The Domestic Exclusion Order (DEO) only restricts the offender’s right to reside in the home and doesn’t affect the offender’s ownership of the home
- A Domestic Exclusion Order (DEO) will be issued if the Family Justice Court feels that it is needed for the protection or personal safety of you or other family members
- The Family Justice Court can make give other directions or instructions to make sure that the Family Justice Court’s Orders are capable of being carried out