New South Wales Consolidated Acts

CRIMES ACT 1900 - SECT 54D

54D Abusive behaviour towards current or former intimate partners

(1) An adult commits an offence if--

(a) the adult engages in a course of conduct against another person that consists of abusive behaviour, and

(b) the adult and other person are or were intimate partners, and

(c) the adult intends the course of conduct to coerce or control the other person, and

(d) a reasonable person would consider the course of conduct would be likely, in all the circumstances, to cause any or all of the following, whether or not the fear or impact is in fact caused--

(i) fear that violence will be used against the other person or another person, or

(ii) a serious adverse impact on the capacity of the other person to engage in some or all of the person's ordinary day-to-day activities.

: Maximum penalty--Imprisonment for 7 years.

(2) For subsection (1)(a)--

(a) the course of conduct may be constituted by any combination of abusive behaviours, and

(b) whether the course of conduct consists of abusive behaviour must be assessed by considering the totality of the behaviours.