Family

If someone has been violent towards you this is a criminal offence. You are entitled to report any violence to the police and to press charges. You must seek help and contact the police immediately.

Unfortunately the process of the Criminal Law is not always quick and it sometimes does not offer effective or immediate protection to the victim. The Civil Law is able to provide the protection you deserve. This does not mean that you cannot or should not press criminal charges as well.

One way in which Civil Law can offer protection from domestic abuse is through the use of an injunction. An injunction is a court order which will forbid the person named in the order from doing certain things and which may require them to take certain steps.  

There are a number of different laws under which the Court may grant injunction orders and the precise protection that is available to you will depend upon your own circumstances. Different considerations will apply depending on how you are associated with the other person. The court will take into consideration different factors depending on what type of injunction you are applying for and how you are related to the other person. We can go through these factors with you depending on your particular circumstances.