Safety and Sanctions

Safety and Sanctions was inspired by the experiences of women when they tried to use the Irish legal system to stop a violent partner. After the introduction of the Domestic Violence Act, 1996, Women's Aid wanted to monitor if/how this legislation was being implemented.

The research covers the response of the Gardai (Irish police), the Irish civil justice systems (Barring Orders, etc.) criminal justice systems (assault cases, etc). A central concern is to examine the systems from the point of view of the safety of the victim and whether or not the offender is held accountable.

Safety and Sanctions is a research study commissioned and published by Women's Aid, Dublin and written by Patricia Kelleher and Monica O'Connor.

Patricia Kelleher Ph.D. is a Research Consultant with Kelleher Associates.

Monica O'Connor has 15 years experience working on the issue of violence against women.