Public Safety Minister Quinton Edness yesterday pledged to meet with the media over moves to ban journalists from domestic violence cases.

He said he wanted a meeting to devise a "proper principle'' of court reporting.

Yesterday MPs passed amendments to the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Bill 1996, which restricted media coverage.

One of them stated that no person should be present at domestic violence cases, other than a "party to court proceedings relating to a protection order''; a "person otherwise directly concerned in those proceedings''; or counsel; or a children's officer.

The judge may, however, give the media permission to be present.

Yesterday the House of Assembly approved the amendments after going into committee before the third reading of the bill.

Mr. Edness told MPs he had received representation from the media, concerned about being barred from the courtroom.

He said he understood the concerns and would give an undertaking to sit down with journalists to discuss the matter.

Shadow Social Services Minister Renee Webb , who had originally pressed for the privacy of victims and children to be protected, welcomed Government's stance.

She said she understood the Press wanted to identify the perpetrators of domestic violence.

But she added it was far more important to safeguard the privacy of the victim.

The Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act 1996 -- which will now go before the Senate -- gets tough on those who abuse women and children, as well as women who abuse men.

The legislation would, among other things: broaden the scope of protected persons from married or formerly married to include those in "significant dating relationships''; increase the area of safety zones, under a Protection Order, to include home, work or place of education; increase the duration of a Protection Order from a maximum of three months to a maximum of 12 months; and include psychological abuse as a type of abuse in addition to sexual and physical abuse.