Domestic Violence and International Law Book

Now available in paperback, Domestic Violence and International Law argues that certain forms of domestic violence are a violation of international human rights law. The argument is based on the international law principle that, where a State fails to protect a vulnerable group of people from harm, whether perpetrated by the State or private actors, it has breached its obligations to protect against human rights violation. The book provides a comprehensive legal analysis for why a State should be accountable in international law for allowing women to suffer extreme forms of domestic violence and how this can help individual victims. It is irrelevant that the violence is perpetrated by individuals and not State actors, such as soldiers or the police. The State's breach of its responsibility is in its failure to act effectively in domestic violence cases - and in its silent endorsement of the violence, it becomes complicit. The book reformulates academic and political debate on domestic violence and the responsibility of States under international law. It is based on empirical data combined with an honest assessment of whether or not domestic violence is recognized by the international community as a human rights violation. Domestic Violence and International Law will appeal to academics and practitioners, as well as feminist legal scholars.