Digital Domestic Abuse: The need for International Laws and Protections

There is urgent need for cross-border protection from digital domestic abuse. Existing laws in respect of cross-border domestic abuse protections are patchy confined to a few countries and relatively rarely enforced. Specifically they anticipate domestic abuse will be of a physical or verbal threatening nature. However domestic violence or other physical domestic abuse is often accompanied by or just is digital abuse of various forms. Bullying stalking and other domestic abuse is increasingly found online. This is sometimes by the perpetrator from the safety of their home their keyboard in another country in circumstances where the parties may have lived abroad or met abroad or have other international connections. National protection orders are powerless. But it is domestic abuse all the same. International laws are needed to give cross-border protection through recognition and enforcement of orders. This article looks at the present position and what is needed.

The problem 

A domestic protection order is made by the courts in one country with the intention of having effect in that country. Unless exceptional it has no cross-border reach. If there is a breach of the...

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