A typical day in the ACT's family violence court list

On Tuesday, the offender is one of 21 men facing the ACT Magistrates Court's family violence list.

Those men are young and old, dressed in suits and baggy tracksuits, represented by expensive lawyers and Legal Aid, alone and flanked by supporters, and ranging in ethnicities.

It's a light day.

The dedicated list was introduced more than a decade ago, but last year began replacing the main Friday list to deal with the vast number of family violence matters in the territory.

Now, two days a week, it occupies the largest possible courtroom.

At the same time, adjacent courtrooms are playing their role by hosting bail applications for alleged family violence offenders and applications for family violence orders.

On Sunday, thousands marched to Parliament House in anger over the 27 women, according to Counting Dead Women, allegedly killed by men this year.

On Monday, 93-year-old Donald Morley was told he would die in custody after murdering his wife of 69 years in what he claimed was a mercy killing. "Murder remains murder," Justice David Mossop said.

On Tuesday, the vast majority of the 26 cases in the territory's family violence list are men.

The back and forth between lawyers and the magistrate is organised, professional, and even at times light-hearted and humorous. Like anyone else, practitioners are getting through their work day.

You'd be forgiven for forgetting the heinous allegations and crimes underpinning everyone's attendance.

The men face charges of assault, choking, property damage, rape, family violence order contravention, indecent assault, threat to inflict grievous bodily harm, and more.

Some plead guilty, others not guilty. Some stay quiet, others require an interpreter. Some are sentenced on the spot, many are adjourned.

The territory's prosecuting office completed 628 family violence matters last financial year. 440 of those were proved.

Any time spent in the family violence list indicates the majority of those cases are men offending against women.

Then there are men committing violence against women they don't know - reserved for the general criminal list. And, of course, unreported violence.

The incident which saw a woman violently knocked unconscious is described during sentencing proceedings as unfortunate.

Several character references claim the man's drunken actions were shockingly out of character.

An argument "escalated" between the long term couple last month. The man angrily punched a hole in the hallway wall and then grabbed the hood of the woman's jumper to forcibly push her.

"It's unfortunate both had been drinking," the lawyer says.

The offender, accepted to be remorseful, walks away with a conviction and a 12-month good behaviour order without supervision.

"I think you have learned a lesson and hopefully you will remember this experience," magistrate Jane Campbell says.

With the withdrawal of an interim family violence order, the court hears the couple are set to rekindle their relationship.

The woman never took part in an official police interview and a prosecutor makes no submissions.

"Family violence is not tolerated by the community in any way," Ms Campbell says more than once throughout the day.

It appears that message had not yet reached another man loudly laughing about his offending against an ex-partner outside court in the afternoon.

"Plead guilty, get 25 per cent off," the laughing man tells another family violence offender before their appearances.

He mimes a kicking motion, replicating the way he violently booted in his ex-partner's door after she didn't respond to his messages and before he stalked her.

It's no surprise the magistrate finds that man, despite his guilty pleas, was not truly remorseful for his crimes.

"The offending speaks to your unwillingness to accept the relationship was over and you were controlling," she tells him.

Ms Campbell describes the man's account of the night to a pre-sentence report author as self-serving and "very much focused on victim blaming".

"Blaming what he calls a toxic relationship," the magistrate says.

The man's lawyer explains his client attended his ex-partner's house at 2am because he was worried about her.

"He had a sense of justice and needed to be protective," the lawyer claims. "We're not trying to excuse what he's done."

The magistrate rejects the submission.

The man had in fact earlier that night accused the woman of being a "lying, cheating manipulator", before surveilling her for hours as police attended her home and smashing her window with rocks.

"He was not deterred by police attendance," a prosecutor tells the court.

Again, references speak only of his good character in other facets of life.

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The man leans back in his chair, breathes out a sigh of relief and wipes away tears after learning he will be leaving with a supervised 18-month good behaviour order and 80 hours of community service.

He has already spent 37 days in custody for his crimes.

Outside court, the man drops the solemn demeanour he had presented to the magistrate and is again smiling. He appears to be taking a photo of himself on a social media app before changing out his court clothes.

His case is not unusual. Many more like it will be heard this year.

The Tuesday list finishes early with a man facing charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and property damage not showing up for court. A warrant for his arrest is issued.

It was a typical, relatively uneventful day for the family violence list.

Any day like it could be filled with relevant criminal histories, no victim impact statements, victims sitting in the public gallery in "support", suddenly "hostile" complainants, men loudly cursing women outside court, victim blaming, and endlessly positive character references.

On Wednesday, an emergency national cabinet meeting is set to discuss men's violence against women.