To what extent does the current law afford victims of domestic abuse Essay

To what extent does the current law afford victims of domestic abuse effective protection and support - Essay Example The 2004 Act is not restricted to just protecting previously married partners. The Act has repealed s4 which required the courts to have regard to the non-married status of cohabitants when making decisions in respect of domestic violence incidents . Legislation on domestic violence is not just limited to couples who have lived together as man and wife or as a cohabiting couple but now covers anyone who has lived in the same residence as part of a family. This includes same-sex couples as well as parent and child relationships where either the parents are attacking the children or the children are attacking the parents. It has been the long-held opinion that very few cases of domestic violence ever get to court to be fully prosecuted. There is a generalisation that most of the couples are reunited before the case gets to court . This issue has been addressed in recent develops within the criminal justice system by creating a fast-track approach, for domestic violence incidents. Throu ghout the country most police forces have now adopted a system whereby all such cases involving domestic violence of any sort have to be ready to be heard at court within 14 days of the incident.