Tim Cartwright, the former acting chief commissioner of Victoria police, has been tasked with holding the state government to account to ensure it delivers all 227 recommendations made by the royal commission into family violence.
The premier, Daniel Andrews, was due to make the announcement on Friday, naming Cartwright as Victoria’s family violence reform implementation monitor. The independent role makes Cartwright responsible for ensuring the promised reforms to protect victims and punish perpetrators are effectively implemented.
The royal commission delivered a report on the state of the family violence system to the Victorian governor in March after a 13-month inquiry.
Its landmark report included recommendations about how Victoria should prevent and respond to family violence through reforming numerous areas including community services, child protection, the judicial system, police responses, and programs and services for perpetrators.
Cartwright has served with Victoria police for 41 years and, as acting chief commissioner, oversaw its violence against women and children strategy and advocated for those experiencing family violence. He also oversaw the introduction of a family violence command, and a review into harassment and predatory behaviour within Victoria police.
In his new role as implementation monitor Cartwright will be required to report to parliament annually about the progress of the family violence reforms beginning on 1 July 2017.
Among the reforms he will monitor are the creation of a more comprehensive information-sharing regime between police, courts, family service providers and other parts of the family violence sector; the establishment of a secure central information point led by Victoria police and which stores databases from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice; and the overhaul of the court system within five years.
Cartwright described his appointment as a “privilege”. “I have a long and passionate involvement in addressing family violence in our community,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for me to work with so many other committed people in making a difference.”
The chief executive of Domestic Violence Victoria, Fiona McCormack, said Cartwright’s position was an Australian first. She said Cartwright would prove critical in ensuring the transparency and accountability of successive governments in ensuring the royal commission’s recommendations were implemented, evaluated and continued.
“One of the difficulties in tackling the complex and deeply embedded issue of family violence in our communities has been to ensure continuous and sustained government focus and effort,” she said.
“The independent monitor will require integrity and independence as well as a passionate commitment to tackling family violence. We have every faith that Tim will do justice to the role.”
The former Victoria police commissioner Ken Lay, a passionate advocate for reforms to the family violence system and greater protection for those trying to escape it, said Cartwright would drive better outcomes for women and children.
“He has a genuine understanding of the real impact family violence has on communities and families,” Lay said.
