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You can apply for a Restraining Order if you are being harassed by another person and the harassment has happened at least twice in the past 12 months.
A Restraining Order makes it a crime for the person who has harassed you to:
contact you in any way
do things like watching you or hanging around outside your home
follow you or stop you in the street
do anything else that gives you a reasonable fear for your safety.
It’s also a crime if the person who has harassed you threatens to do any of those things, or encourages someone else to do any of those things to you.
Offence of stalking and harassment and criminal court ordered restraining orders
It is a criminal offence if a person has stalked or harassed another person by doing a specified act on at least 2 separate occasions within a period of 2 years and they engaged in that behaviour knowing that it was likely to cause fear or distress to that person.
The person causing harm can be charged under s 216Q Crimes Act 1961. This offence has an imprisonment sentence of up to 5 years. In addition to this sentence, the court can make a restraining order under the Harassment Act.
Other Orders that might work for you
If you are or have been in a family relationship with the person harassing you, you can apply to the Family Court for a Protection Order.
If you were the victim of a violent offence where the offender was sent to prison for more than 2 years (and you were not in a family relationship with the offender) and you want to stop them from contacting you in any way once they’re released, you need to apply to the court for a Non-Contact Order.