The Domestic Violence Act 1996, was enacted on the 27th February, 1996, as statutory legislation and this act gave authority to District Court Judges to issue Civil Orders designed to provide protection to victims of domestic violence. Applicants (victims) could apply to the Family Law Court for Orders (Safety, Barring, Interim Barring and Protection Orders) against a Respondent (perpetrator) and the District Court Judge could issue such Orders as determined by the Courts. Breaches of these Court Orders constitute a criminal offence which gives the police a power of arrest and the Respondent is taken before the issuing court to be dealt with as appropriate under criminal law.
The Domestic Violence Act 1996 can be found at the following link:
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1996/en/act/pub/0001/print.html
Note that this Act has been amended by the Domestic Violence (Amendment) Act of 2002.
