The legislation is the first resulting from recommendations in the Women’s Safety and Justice task force report Hear Her Voice, and will be introduced to state parliament on Friday.

The reforms would strengthen Queensland’s response to coercive control before the introduction of a stand-alone offence next year, Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman said.

“The task force made it very clear that system-wide reform was needed before any new coercive control offence came into effect,” she told parliament.

“The bill to be introduced today is the first step in system-wide reform.”

The legislation will broaden the definition of domestic violence to include patterns of behaviour, not just single incidents.

It will also modernise the definition of unlawful stalking to include intimidation, harassment or abuse.

“This is aimed at better capturing the way that modern technology is being used to control and harass victims,” Fentiman said.

There will also be provisions to strengthen consideration given by courts on domestic violence history, and the use of cross-applications for protection orders.

“We have to make sure that it is the person most in need of protection,” Fentiman said.

Outdated terms that have been in use for more than a century, such as carnal knowledge and maintaining a sexual relationship with a child, will also be updated.

“We must ensure that the language of our laws do not trivialise or soften what are reprehensible actions,” Fentiman said.

Sue and Lloyd Clarke, whose daughter Hannah and her three children were murdered by her estranged husband in 2020, welcomed the move.