​In recent years, three other countries have introduced new offences to criminalise coercive control in the context of domestic and family violence: England (2015), Ireland (2018), and Scotland (2018). This has led to debate about enacting a similar offence in Australia and NSW.  

On 24 September 2020, Anna Watson MP introduced the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Amendment (Coercive Control—Preethi's Law) Bill 2020. On 13 October 2020, the NSW Attorney-General, Mark Speakman announced that the NSW Government would move to establish a Parliamentary Joint Select Committee inquiry to examine coercive control; and the Department of Communities and Justice released a discussion paper. 

This issues backgrounder provides a brief overview and a list of key sources that discuss the issue of criminalising coercive control.