magistrates, 11, 29, 52, 54, 57, 60–61, 72, 97, 109, 140–144, 148–149

beliefs about/assessments of credibility, 63, 109–110, 114, 117, 120, 124–129, 134–138, 254–256, 268

belief in fathers’ right of contact with their children, 251–252

bureaucratic approach, 85–88, 91, 99, 105nn28–29, 149, 267, 273

class stereotypes, 128, 137–138, 149, 268

cultural/ethnic stereotypes, 126–129, 149, 268

discretion, 130, 134–138, 150, 153n14, 264–265, 267, 271

demeanors, 84–88, 105n29

education/training, 149, 260n5, 272

eliciting women’s stories, 80–84

encouragement of reconciliation, 120–124, 269

minimization and denial of violence, 124–126, 129, 268

power to make or vary contact orders, 244–249, 252–254, 260n5, 273

preventing/protecting women from speaking, 86–93, 99–100, 267

shifting blame to women, 125–126, 129, 135, 268

time pressures, 82, 85, 89–90, 99, 105n27, 249

understandings of domestic violence, 75, 109–147, 268–269

magistrates (continued)

variation in approaches, 86–88, 110–111

views of family law, 252–254, 259, 265, 269

views on women’s motives, 245–256, 268

Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, 10–11, 14, 58–59, 68, 107, 148–149, 153n13, 154n15, 243–244, 259, 265

caseload, 52, 82, 94, 98, 267

clerks. See registrars

courtrooms, 77, 79–81

lack of resources, 52, 82, 99

physical facilities, 76–81

registrars, 58–59, 76, 90, 98, 105–106n30, 107–109, 143, 149, 151n1, 154n15, 267

scheduling practices, 77–78, 104n24

waiting areas, 76, 78–79

Marsh v. Marsh (1993),, 209

Matrimonial Causes Act (1959), 155

Melbourne, 10–11, 14, 55, 59, 63, 68, 126, 144, 154n15, 219, 233

Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, 77, 92

men, 16, 21, 32, 48n16, 98, 174, 198–199, 266, 272

denial, minimization, excuses and blame, 22, 97, 124, 268

ethnic stereotypes, 126–127

Indigenous, 28–30, 46n10, 47n12

perpetrators of violence, 3, 20, 26, 33–35, 44, 45n1, 54, 95, 103, 113, 139, 145, 148–149, 179

property rights, 141–144

responsibility for violence, 37, 54, 97, 122, 148–149, 273