If you are worried about your safety at court, the court can make safety arrangements for you.
Before your court date, you can discuss your concerns with:
• mahakama (tazama maelezo ya mawasiliano)
• chumba salama ambapo unaweza subiri kabla ya kuanza kesi ili usisubiri mahali pamoja
• kubainisha mlango tofauti ya kuingia na kutoka mahakamani
• kuwa na walinzi wa usalama kukusaidia kuwa salama
• Hakimu anaweza kuamua kubadilisha mahali pa kesi yako, mfano – anaweza kusogeza kesi kwenye mahakama ya jiji ambapo kuna walinzi wa usalama zaidi na vyumba salama
• Hakimu anaweza kuomba mtu asubirie mahakamani kwa muda wa kutosha ili mtu mwingine aondoke
• Hakimu anaweza kutengeneza amri za kukusaidia unapotoa ushahidi – tazama Nina ushahidi - kitakachojiri.
Unaweza kuchukua rafiki au mtu wa familia kwenye mahakama kama msaidizi ikiwa unataka.
Mikoa Yote isipokuwa Western Australia
Ikiwa una wasiwasi kuhusu usalama wako kwenye mahakama, unaweza kuwasiliana na Kituo cha Kuuliza Kitaifa cha Mahakama ya Familia kupitia gumzo hai:
Vinginevyo, unaweza kumpigia simu Kituo cha Kuuliza Kitaifa kwa nambari 1300 352 000 au kumtumia barua pepe enquiries@familylawcourts.gov.au.
Ni bora ikiwa unaweza kuwasiliana nao angalau siku 5 kabla ya kuenda mahakamani ili wakuweze kutengeneza mpango wa usalama.
Pia unaweza kuwasiliana na Huduma ya Usimamizi na Msaada wa Familia kwa msaada wa usalama wako mahakamani.
Western Australia
Ikiwa uko Western Australia, piga simu kwenye Kituo cha Simu cha Mahakama ya Sheria ya Familia WA kwa nambari (08) 9224 8222 au 1800 199 228 angalau wiki 2 kabla ya kuenda mahakamani.
Unaweza kuwasilisha wasiwasi wako kwa maandishi kwa mahakama kwa kutumia barua ya mfano.
Unaweza pia kuwasiliana na Huduma ya Usimamizi na Msaada wa Familia kwa msaada wa usalama wako mahakamani.
If you’re going to court and you want your address to be kept confidential, you can get legal adviceACTNSWNTQldSATasVicWA about this.
There are different things the court and your lawyer can do to protect your address.
When you are filing documents at the Family Courts, you have to include an address in Australia where the other person can send you their documents. This is called your ‘address for service’.
If you have a lawyer acting for you, your lawyer’s address will be the address for service, so your address can stay protected.
If you don’t have a lawyer, consider getting a PO Box you can use as the address for service.
If you have changed address because of domestic and family violence, you may be able to re-direct your mail or get a PO Box for free, see Australia Post for more information.
If you don’t want your ex-partner to know where you live, be careful about documents that could accidentally give away your address. For example – if you want to attach a letter to your affidavit (written statement), make sure your address is not on the letter.
If your ex-partner or a lawyer issue a subpoena (a written order) requesting information about you, and you’re worried that information may include your address, get legal adviceACTNSWNTQldSATasVicWA. For example – a subpoena to your doctor for your medical records may include your address. Sometimes orders can be made so your address is blacked out from the records, or to limit what information is shared. There are time-limits around subpoenas, so it’s important to get legal adviceACTNSWNTQldSATasVicWA as soon as possible.
Sometimes it can be hard to keep your address protected once a court case starts, so it’s important to talk to a lawyer about it.
Utakuwa lazima utoe ushahidi katika kesi yako ikienda kwenye mkutano wa mwisho.
Kutoa ushahidi kunamaanisha kuwa utaeleza hadithi yako mahakamani, na mtu mwingine au mwanasheria wake akakuuliza maswali kuhusu hadithi yako.
Kabla ya kutoa ushahidi, utaombwa kila au kuidhinisha mahakamani kuwa utasema kweli.
Giving evidence can be an overwhelming experience.
You might feel scared, stressed or worried about:
- seeing the other person
- being asked difficult questions
- having to remember and talk about what happened.
It is important that you look after yourself before, during and after the court case:
Angalia kama rafiki au mmmoja wa familia anaweza kukuja na wewe kwenye mahakama kukutumikia msaada.
Kabla ya mahakama, jaribu kupata usingizi wa kutosha na kula vizuri.
Jifunze mbinu za kupumzisha mwili na kupumzisha pumzi ili kukusaidia kuwa tulivu.
Zungumza na wakili wako au Huduma ya Usaidizi na Utetezi wa Familia kabla ya kusikilizwa. Wanaweza kukuambia unatarajia nini mahakamani na kukusaidia kuwa salama mahakamani.
If you have experienced domestic and family violence, the court may make orders or put things in place to safeguard you while you give evidence in a hearing. For example, the court may:
Kukuruhusu kutoa ushahidi kupitia kiunganishi cha video ili uwe chumba au mahali tofauti na mtu mwingine.
Kufanya mtu mwingine kuona na kusikia mazungumzo kupitia kiunganishi cha video katika chumba au mahali tofauti unapotoa ushahidi.
Kuhitaji mtu mwingine afichwe unapotoa ushahidi.
Kumesha mtu asiulize maswali yenye madhara au matusi.
Kutengeneza amri za kuzuia au kumesha mtu akushughulishe.
Kukuruhusu kuwa na mtu wa msaada au mnyama karibu nawe unapotoa ushahidi.
Kufunga mahakama kwa umma.
Kuondoa watu fulani kutoka kwenye chumba cha mahakama.
- Listen carefully to the questions.
- Don’t try to guess the reason behind the questions, just focus on telling the truth and answer honestly.
- Don’t be afraid to say you don’t know if you really don’t.
- If you don’t understand a question just say so or ask for it to be said again.
- If you can’t remember say that you do not remember.
- If you don’t agree with something that is suggested to you, it is important that you say so.
- Speak loudly, clearly and slowly.
- If you are giving evidence about a conversation, try to use the words that were said, like reading a movie script. For example – if you said “Give that back” then the right way to give this evidence is to say, “I said, ‘Give that back,”’ not “I told him to give it back.”
- The other person or their lawyer may say things that are upsetting or difficult to hear. They may accuse you of lying or being mistaken. Try not to get angry even if you feel they are being rude.
- Try to breathe evenly and stay as calm as you can.
- It is normal to feel nervous, upset or embarrassed when giving evidence. If you need to have a break, ask the Judge.
- Family Court of Australia – FCFCOA - Do you have fears for your safety?
- Mahakama ya Familia ya WA – Usalama Binafsi