NSW Police will back the state government to stop court registrars from making bail decisions in domestic violence-related cases, following the death of a woman.
Mother-of-one Molly Ticehurst, 28, was found dead inside her home at Forbes, in central west NSW, on Monday.
Her former partner was charged with her murder and stands accused of raping and stalking her in the months before.
The 29-year-old man was granted bail a few weeks earlier by a registrar handling court matters in relation to Ms Ticehurst's allegations, in the place of a magistrate.
The NSW government this week announced a formal review of bail laws in the wake of her death.
Asked on Friday if she'd like to see a change where court registrars don't make decisions on serious matters like sexual assault or stalking, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said "certainly".
"When I saw the attorney's announcement (about the review), he was clear that one of those suggestions being considered was that a prosecutor or a magistrate consider bail, rather than a registrar," she told Sydney radio 2GB.
"I support that if that's where the government lands."
Premier Chris Minns said this week that mandating all weekend bail applications be put before a magistrate - even if that required an audiovisual link to a Sydney courthouse - would be discussed with the lower courts during the review.
Ms Webb noted that an executive member of the force has been sitting in on a bail monitoring group for many years.
"We've been lobbying for some time to make amendments to the bail acts particularly around protecting women and victims of sexual and domestic violence," she said.
"We've got a seat at that table and it's important that we do.
"We're not obviously the only seat and there's many moving parts, but certainly we've been a member for many years and domestic violence ... has been one of my priorities since I started.
"I call it one of those silent crimes along with child abuse and sexual abuse."
Domestic violence incidents take up about 60 per cent or more of police general duty time.
"It doesn't matter whether you're in Sydney, or you're in regional New South Wales. It's a scourge," Ms Webb said.
MS Webb became commissioner in 2021, making history as the first woman to lead the force.
Australian Associated Press
