Welcome U-turn gives legal aid to victims of psychological domestic violence | Jon Robins

Bill

changes will improve access to justice and let the women escape abusive relationships immigrants applied to stay in Britain

shows a welcome U-turn last week during a phase of the Legal Aid Committee, conviction and punishment of offenders bill that critical concessions can be made in the forward of March Otherwise, the dismantling of our legal system of public finances.

To mix metaphors outpatient

, ministers have tended to fall over themselves in their plans for legal assistance to protect access to justice for victims of domestic violence.

have recently argued that the strong rhetoric of the Minister of the Interior, Theresa May, that "no level of violence against women and girls" to be acceptable in modern Britain or n it anywhere else in the world has been undermined by a bill for legal assistance that makes domestic violence a precondition for access to legal advice to the family of private law, such as custody of children divorce or child support. It was originally based on an outdated idea of ??domestic violence, emotional abuse excluded.

Minister

legal aid, Jonathan Djanogly, confirmed last week that would bring cases under the "rule of domestic violence" under the new immigration system in the field of legal assistance . This allows people with a spouse or partner visa to leave a violent or abusive relationship and seek indefinite leave to remain in this country. Immigration Minister, Damian Green, said that 700 victims of domestic violence are based on each year, although the Association of Professional Immigration Act, "acknowledge that it's more like 1500.

"There is a real risk that, without legal assistance, people being trapped in an abusive relationship for fear of jeopardizing their immigration status," he said last week Djanogly. "The kind of trauma that could have been often make it difficult to cope with these demands."

is an encouraging development, because as extras Katherine, policy director of women's rights, said the agreement "shows that you can successfully challenge the regressive measures of the bill that affect women are victims of violence. "

addition, the definition of domestic violence in cases of family law is much narrower than the ACPO (Association of Police Officers) standard, which includes physical, psychological, emotional, economic or sexual . Ministers also want to "objective" by reference to the forensic evidence, police or social services process in which the certified domestic violence has occurred. This curious too prescriptive violence and domestic environment has been severely attacked and now Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has lent his voice to criticism. In his written testimony to the commission last week, argued that "despite the recognition of the need to ensure that victims of domestic violence are entitled to a lawyer in private law family matters" most of those who have experienced domestic violence are not eligible because of the "proof must present restrictive."

Johnson seems to agree with the opposition to government plans to reform the legal aid would be "a disaster for women who experience domestic violence," said Andy Slaughter, Labour MP for Hammersmith. "There is no doubt claim to have spoken evil of Boris after # 10, get to it, as it was by cuts in housing subsidies," the deputy. "It's a good opportunity for the government to review its policy on everybody Legal Aid of the National Federation of Women's Institutes question the rights of women said that women are more susceptible to drift."

• Slaughter argues that a significant number of complaints from victims of domestic violence, therefore, the requirements of pending criminal proceedings or a reference to a conference of risk assessment and multi-agency criteria eligibility "would make most women victims of domestic violence access to a lawyer."

Dig deeper into the details and the apparent protection extended to victims of domestic violence by the government will disappear. The typical course of events in a case of domestic violence is that women - usually a woman, but not always - is applied to an order of protection against partner violence. There is a hearing and the man agrees to court (without any admission of its violence) does not go to his assault. If the violations to the company, which is a contempt of court and provides women with the protection you need without the trauma, cost and uncertainty of court proceedings and appeal results. From the perspective of man, not a confession that does not change in the future affect the judicial process (particularly in terms of contact with children).

If a man gives a company the court is unlikely to make an order to protect the company provides. What happens in most cases of domestic violence. And commentators have assumed, rather than the invoice reflects current practice and delivery of a business would lead to legal aid.

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