The Domestic Violence Act Atkin, William
Material type:
- 0028-8373
New Zealand Law Journal 5 1998 : 24-26
This article presents an examination of the use and abuse of the Domestic Violence Act (1995). Definitions of terms under the Domestic Violence Act have been extended from that of the Domestic Protection Act (1982), which the author claims has led to misuse of the Act at the expense of genuine domestic violence victims. Under the Domestic Violence Act, children and other family members can now bring protection orders against each other. The author compares the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act (1989) with the Domestic Violence Act, and suggests that the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act strives to keep families together whilst the Domestic Violence Act appears to break families apart. Examples of legal cases are provided to illustrate the issues raised by the author.