Domestic Violence
It is not uncommon for families to experience violent tension, either as a factor contributing to the breakdown of family relationships, or as a result of such breakdown. The decision to end a relationship, whether prompted by domestic violence or not, can often make the family situation more difficult rather than easier in the short term.
Over the years, the team at RJW have represented police officers that have themselves been victims of domestic violence. We have also come across numerous cases where allegations have been made by an ex-partner or spouse deliberately to jeopardise the officer’s employment situation. If you find yourself in either situation then it is imperative that immediate advice is obtained.
The family law statutes offer a number of different solutions for officers facing domestic violence.
- The Family Law Act 1996, Part IV, introduced occupation orders and non-molestation orders in an attempt to protect people experiencing domestic violence within a family relationship; it was amended in a number of important ways by the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act.
- The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 contains both criminal and civil remedies for harassment, available to people who have no family relationship with the person harassing them.
- The Children Act 1989, as amended by the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and the Children and Adoption Act 2006, contains some important provisions designed to protect children from the direct and indirect effects of domestic violence.
