As of September 2025, South Australia has passed landmark legislation to criminalise coercive control – a form of domestic abuse that has not been recognised in law as a standalone offence in the state until now. This makes South Australia the third state in Australia to pass legislation against coercive control, behind Queensland and New South Wales.
What is coercive control?
Coercive control refers to patterns of behaviour in current or former intimate partner relationships where one person seeks to dominate or restrict another’s autonomy. It often isn’t physical violence (though it can accompany violence) and includes behaviours such as:
- isolating someone from friends or family
- controlling finances or resources
- monitoring what they say, wear, eat, or when they sleep
- restricting access to basic necessities, legal help, support services, or mobility aids
These controlling behaviours gradually wear down a person’s ability to make decisions or trust their own judgement, interfere with their freedom of movement and autonomy, as well as causing physical or psychological distress.
What the new laws do
The major changes introduced by the legislation are:
- Criminalisation of controlling conduct
Coercive control becomes a standalone offence in South Australia. That means someone can be prosecuted even if there is no physical violence, provided the behaviour meets the legal criteria. - Scope
The law covers both current partners and former partners. - What behaviour is covered
Controlling behaviours need to restrict one or more significant aspects of someone’s life, such as:- where they can go, or what they can do
- participation in social, community, political or economic activities
- decisions about one’s own body
- access to supports, services or basic needs
- Legal test:
To prove the offence, prosecutors must show that there was a course of conduct, meaning repeated or continuous behaviours, and that a reasonable person would see the conduct as likely to cause physical or psychological harm. The defendant must also have intended to have a controlling impact, or cause serious apprehension or fear. - Penalties
The maximum penalty is up to 7 years in prison for the offence – matching the maximum sentence in New South Wales, but half of the maximum sentence of 14 years in Queensland. - Implementation timeline
Although the law has passed as of 4 September 2025, it won’t start immediately. The announced commencement is anticipated in 2027, allowing time for consultation, training, and getting the systems ready (courts, police, support services, etc.)
Why this is important
These laws mark a significant step in recognising that abuse isn’t only about physical violence.
- Acknowledging hidden harm: Emotional, psychological, financial and coercive behaviours cause real, long‐term damage. The law gives them recognition and offers victims legal recourse.
- Prevention and awareness: By defining these behaviours clearly in law, there’s greater opportunity for prevention, early intervention, public education, and shifting social norms.
- Enabling access to justice: Victims who may have suffered control over many years but never experienced overt violence now have clearer legal paths to safety.
- Fulfilling prior recommendations: These laws are part of implementing key recommendations from the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence in SA.
Key concerns, challenges & what to watch
While many have welcomed the reforms, there are challenges and open questions:
| Area | Concerns: |
| Proving the behaviour | Because coercive control often involves repeated non-physical acts, proving that a pattern (course of conduct) exists and that the accused intended harm or control may be hard. Evidence will often be less tangible. |
| Avoiding overreach or unintended consequences | Concerns have been raised that ordinary behaviour could be criminalised if the law is interpreted too broadly. For example, legitimate interventions (e.g. helping someone with money due to addiction or illness) need to be clearly distinguished from abuse. |
| Training & capacity | Police, courts, legal aid, victim services will need training, resources and protocols to properly identify, respond to, and adjudicate coercive control cases. |
| Support services | Victims need support not just legal remedies, including counselling, housing, protection, especially for vulnerable groups (Aboriginal, CALD Australians, remote communities, or those living with disability). |
| Timing and rollout | Because the law doesn’t start until 2027, there’s a transition period. The effectiveness of the law will depend heavily on what happens in between, including public education, resourcing, developing evidence collection, etc. |
What to look out for
If you live in South Australia, or care about this issue, you might consider:
- Familiarising yourself with what coercive control looks like (signs, behaviours) so you can spot it — in your own life, or in the lives of friends/family.
- Supporting or volunteering with local domestic / family violence services, which will be essential in the rollout of these laws.
- Sharing information so the community understands what the law is and isn’t — misinformation can cause fear or misunderstanding.
- For people experiencing coercive control: seek help early, document what is happening (dates, behaviours, witnesses), reach out to support services or legal advice.
Final thoughts
The passage of coercive control laws in South Australia reflects a shift in how DFSV is understood and addressed. It signals recognition that abuse is not always visible, not always physical, but can be deeply harmful when control and domination become part of daily life.
These laws will not by themselves end DFSV. But they offer a tool, a legal acknowledgment, a way to hold perpetrators to account, and a path toward safer lives for many people who have suffered in silence.
As SA prepares for implementation in 2027, the real measure of success will be in how well these laws are supported in the strength of services, the clarity of public understanding, and the ability of the justice system to respond effectively.