Domestic Violence: Law and Practice in Ireland

The book provides a comprehensive overview of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 with analysis of all measures contained in the act and procedural developments including new crimes of forced marriage and coercive control. It takes account of recent case law and is supplemented by appendices containing key forms, precedents and legislation.

An invaluable practical guide written for solicitors, barristers and rights groups such as Women’s Aid, Rape Crisis Centre, Rape Crisis Network, One Family, Children First and the Citizens Information Centres.

On 1 January 2019, the Domestic Violence Act 2018 came into force in Ireland. The Act improves the protections available to victims of domestic violence under both the civil and criminal law. The Act made some significant changes to the law including allowing victims to give evidence by live television link in civil and criminal cases for breaches of orders, giving protection against cross-examination of the applicant or respondent by the respondent or applicant where orders are being sought and providing for the granting of safety orders to those in intimate relationships but who are not cohabiting.

These are just some of the sweeping changes to the law in the area of domestic violence and to date, there is no book in Ireland dedicated to this specific area. Solicitors are reporting a rise in domestic violence since the pandemic. Women’s Aid, a national front line support service for women affected by domestic abuse, reported that its Free Phone Help Line responded to 41% more calls since the start of the pandemic compared to the previous year. Safe Ireland, a national agency which works with domestic violence agencies, said that there was a sharp increase in the number of women and children seeking support from domestic violence services during the first six months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The book is of practical use to those who work within the family court system including judges, solicitors, barristers, social workers and CAHMS teams in addition to women’s groups who represent victims of domestic violence. In producing this comprehensive book, the authors have drawn on their wealth of experience and their extensive professional backgrounds working in family law and rape cases.