International Human Rights Law and Domestic Violence: The Effectiveness of International Human Rights Law

Description

This innovative book examines the effectiveness of international human rights law, through the case study of domestic violence. Domestic violence is an issue that affects vast numbers of women throughout all nations of the world, but as it takes place between private individuals it does not come within the ambit of the traditional interpretation of human rights law. Ronagh J.A. McQuigg questions whether international human rights law can only be effective in a traditional case of human rights abuse or whether it can rise to the challenge of being used in relation to issues such as domestic violence. The book focuses primarily on the question of how international human rights law could be used in relation to domestic violence in the United Kingdom. McQuigg considers recent case law from the European Court of Human Rights on domestic violence and whether the UK courts could use the Human Rights Act 1998 to assist victims of domestic violence. The book goes on to look in detail at the statements of the international human rights bodies on domestic violence, with particular focus on those made by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women. The book explores the impact that the statements have had so far on the UK government s policy in relation to domestic violence and discusses how the statements made by the international human rights bodies could be used more effectively by non-governmental organisations, such as human rights groups and women s groups. Front Cover......Page 1 International Human Rights Law and Domestic Violence......Page 5 Copyright Page......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Table of cases......Page 10 Table of statutes......Page 12 Introduction......Page 13 The achievements of international human rights law......Page 15 Problems......Page 16 The way in which rights were formulated and the public/private dichotomy......Page 17 Conflicting rights......Page 22 Implementation difficulties......Page 24 Conclusion......Page 32 Improving the criminal justice system......Page 33 Civil law measures......Page 44 Providing social support measures to victims......Page 45 Changing attitudes......Page 47 Ensuring inter-agency cooperation......Page 52 Tackling risk factors......Page 53 Battery treatment programmes......Page 54 Conclusion......Page 55 3. The jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights......Page 56 Positive obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights......Page 57 In what ways is domestic violence a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights?......Page 60 How has the European Court of Human Rights addressed the issue of domestic violence?......Page 62 Limitations on the obligation to take operational measures......Page 66 The responses of states to the judgments of the Court......Page 67 The provision of resources to victims of domestic violence......Page 68 The margin of appreciation......Page 71 Conclusion......Page 72 The horizontal effect of the Human Rights Act 1998......Page 74 Has domestic violence been recognised as a human rights issue in the United Kingdom?......Page 76 The deference shown by judges......Page 78 The limits on what courts can achieve and difficulties surrounding socio-economic rights......Page 80 The problem of alleged perpetrators relying on human rights law......Page 83 The ability of law to deal with an ‘unseen’ crime......Page 89 Conclusion......Page 90 5. The approach of the international human rights bodies to domestic violence......Page 92 Improving the criminal justice system......Page 93 Providing measures of social support for victims......Page 96 Improving societal awareness......Page 97 Improving the awareness of professionals......Page 98 Developing inter-agency approaches......Page 100 Tackling risk factors......Page 101 Developing programmes for perpetrators......Page 103 Amending CEDAW?......Page 104 The Optional Protocol to CEDAW......Page 105 Transcending the public/private dichotomy......Page 110 Conclusion......Page 111 Is the United Kingdom complying with the recommendations?......Page 113 Why is the United Kingdom complying/not complying with the recommendations?......Page 126 Could the statements of international human rights bodies be used more effectively?......Page 135 Conclusion......Page 137 A litigation approach......Page 139 Using the statements of the international human rights bodies......Page 144 Final points......Page 145 Notes......Page 147 Bibliography......Page 177 Index......Page 188