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Topic:

Domestic violence

Court:

District

Category:

Family

ARCHIVE:

2001 - 2014

 

 

Related link
Current data

Domestic violence legislation protects spouses/civil partners and children and offers legal remedies to dependent persons, and persons in other domestic relationships where their safety or welfare is at risk because of the conduct of the other person in the relationship.

It also gives An Garda Síochána powers to arrest without warrant where there is a breach of a court order.

Year

Incoming

Resolved

 

 

by court

out of court

2014

13,528

13,367

0

 

Barring order:

A barring order requires the respondent to leave the family home and stay away from the family home of the applicant and/or dependent children.  It may also include terms prohibiting the respondent from using or threatening to use violence.  A barring order can be made for up to three years.

Once a summons has been issued for a safety order or a barring order the applicant can apply for a protection order or an interim barring order while waiting for the application to be heard in court.

Barring orders - applicants:

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Spouse

1,427

1,514

1,515

1,594

1,690

Common law partner / cohabiting or formerly cohabiting couples

844

853

842

861

903

Civil partner

7

-

-

-

-

Parent (against son or daughter)

511

386

360

392

486

Parent*(against other parent)

0

-

-

-

-

Health Service Executive

-

3

5

6

1

Other cohabitants (not couples)

0

-

-

-

-

Other

-

7

4

2

16

*Parent of a child v. other parent of the same child

Trends: Barring orders

Year

Applications

 Granted

2014

2,671

877

2013

2,738

1,167

2012

2,789

1,165

2011

2,763

1,043

2010

2,726

1,064

2009

2,855

1,106

2008

3,096

1,251

2007

3,355

1,420

2006

3,132

1,357

2005

3,183

1,265

2004

3,210

1,297

2003

3,586

1,575

2002

 4,067

 1,740

2001

4,470

2,067

 

Barring orders:

2010

2009

2008

Granted

1,064

1,106

1,251

Refused

88

89

580

Withdrawn / struck out

1,574

1,660

1,265

 

Interim barring order:

This is a temporary barring order. It is intended to last until the barring order application is heard in court and a decision made. Under the Domestic Violence Act 2002 a full court hearing must take place within eight working days of the granting of an interim barring order. The court must be of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing there is an immediate risk of significant harm to the applicant or any dependent person if the order is not made immediately and the granting of a protection order would not be sufficient to protect the applicant or any dependent person.

Interim barring orders - applicants:

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Spouse

356

418

302

240

361

Common law partner / cohabiting or formerly cohabiting couples

190

214

150

271

214

Civil partner

2

-

-

-

-

Parent (against son or daughter)

100

95

72

28

39

Parent*(against other parent)

0

-

-

-

-

Health Service Executive

0

2

2

7

Other cohabitants (not couples)

0

-

-

-

-

Other

-

4

4

4

2

*Parent of a child v. other parent of the same child

Interim barring orders:

2010

2009

2008

Granted*

431

451

445

Refused

38

56

71

Withdrawn / struck out

61

38

107

 

Trends: Interim barring orders

Year

Applications *

Granted

2014

699

569

2013

674

522

2012

648

520

2011

731

569

2010

530

431

2009

545

451

2008

623

445

2007

692

586

2006

605

544

2005

622

550

2004

698

604

2003

629

531

2002

852

706

2001

1,159

1,007

* Some interim barring orders were granted on foot of applications for protection orders.
Likewise some protection orders were granted on foot of interim barring orders.

Safety order:

A safety order prohibits the person against whom the order is made (the respondent) from engaging in violence or threats of violence. It does not oblige that person to leave the family home. If the person does not normally live in the family home, it prohibits them from watching or being in the vicinity of where the person applying for the order (the applicant) and dependent children lives. A safety order can be made for up to five years.

Safety order - applicants:

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Spouse

2,041

1,888

1,836

1,776

1,745

Common law partner / cohabiting or formerly cohabiting couples

2,000

1,302

1,195

1,037

1,059

Civil Partner

11

       

Parent (against son or daughter)

515

471

460

436

451

Parent*(against other parent)

278

       

Health Service Executive

-

17

39

3

2

Other cohabitants (not couples)

181

       

Other

-

77

1

70

71

*Parent of a child v. other parent of the same child

Trends: Safety orders

Year

Applications

Granted

2014

5,499

2.029

2013

5,334

2,381

2012

5,026

2,255

2011

3,755

1,513

2010

3,561

1,457

2009

3,322

1,339

2008 

3,328

1,502

2007

3,553

1,556

2006

3,050

1,221

2005

2,866

1,037

2004

2,611

987

2003

2,557

1,108

2002

2,818

1,187

2001

2,903

1,232

 

Safety orders:

2010

2009

2008

Granted

1,457

1,339

1,502

Refused

80

116

617

Withdrawn / struck out

2,024

1,867

1,209

 

Protection order:

This is a temporary safety order. It gives protection to the applicant until the court decides on a safety or barring order application. It is intended to last until the case is heard and a decision made. It does not oblige the respondent to leave the family home.

Protection orders - applicants: 

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Spouse

1,743

1,615

1,552

1,247

2,087

Common law partner / cohabiting or formerly cohabiting couples

1,687

1,296

1,004

1,584

1,036

Civil Partner

2

       

Parent (against son or daughter)

439

417

321

262

203

Parent*(against other parent)

251

       

Health Service Executive

-

5

45

4

1

Other cohabitants (not couples)

70

-

-

-

-

Other

-

70

4

37

27

*Parent of a child v. other parent of the same child

Trends: Protection orders

Year

Applications

Granted*

2014

4,406

4,024

2013

4,529

4,142

2012

4,192

3,849

2011

3,403

3,085

2010

2,926

2,672

2009

3,134

2,867

2008

3,354

2,955

2007

3,794

3,235

2006

3,137

2,845

2005

2,850

2,622

2004

3,054

2,810

2003

3,109

2,814

2002

3,677

3,248

2001

4,263

3,711

* Some protection orders were granted on foot of interim barring orders.

Protection orders: 

2010

2009

2008

Granted

2,672

2,867

2,955

Refused

134

120

256

Withdrawn / struck out

115

147

138