Restraining Orders Act 1997

The court may, on the application of the person protected by the final order or on its own initiative, make an order requiring —

an eligibility assessor to give a report (an eligibility assessment report) to the court, by a date specified in the order, on whether the respondent is eligible to attend a behaviour change programme; and

the respondent to attend an interview (an eligibility assessment interview) with the eligibility assessor for the purposes of preparing the eligibility assessment report.

However, a court is not to make an eligibility assessment order if —

there is already in force a behaviour management order in respect of the respondent; or

the court is satisfied that —

there is no behaviour change programme that is reasonably practicable for the respondent to attend; or

in all the circumstances of the case, it is not appropriate to make the order.

The eligibility assessment report must assess the respondent as eligible to attend a behaviour change programme unless the eligibility assessor considers that the respondent does not have the ability or capacity to participate in a behaviour change programme because of one or more of the following —

the respondent’s character, personal history or language skills;

any disabilities of the respondent;

any severe mental health conditions of the respondent;

any alcohol or other drug problems of the respondent;

any other matters that the eligibility assessor considers relevant.

An eligibility assessment order must —

specify the date by which the respondent must undergo an eligibility assessment interview; and

require the eligibility assessor to give reasonable written notice to the respondent of the interview; and

require the respondent to attend that interview.

A respondent who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes an eligibility assessment order by failing to attend the eligibility assessment interview commits an offence.

The respondent is taken to have contravened the order by failing to attend the eligibility assessment interview if the respondent does not attend the interview at the time and place specified in the notice under subsection (4)(b).