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Pakistan lower house passes bill outlawing domestic violence

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The Pakistan National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, on Tuesday unanimously approved the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, 2008, moving a step closer to outlawing domestic violence in the country. Under the proposed legislation, women, children, and domestic employees would be protected from physical, mental, and sexual assaults. Victims could be relocated, and those found guilty could face jail time and fines. The bill also allows the court to direct the accused to compensate the victim for any expenses incurred. The measure is supported by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of President Asif Ali Zardari. It will now face a vote in the Senate and must then be signed by Zardari before becoming law. Domestic violence continues to be a global problem, as it often goes unpunished. In June, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that the Turkish government is responsible for the death of a woman at the hands of her ex-husband because it failed to investigate complaints. In September, the India Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) announced that it would review the country's controversial anti-dowry act because increasing numbers of Indian women had issued complaints about misuse. Despite legislation controlling the cultural and religious practice, India's dowry system continues illegally, leaving many women subject to abuse without enforcement of legal protections from so-called "dowry deaths". In 2006, the Council of Europe (COE) released a report criticizing France's human rights record and identifying impunity for domestic violence as a shortcoming in the French judicial system.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on August 04, 2009 (boomark / email).