Civil Domestic Violence Legislation in Saskatchewan: An assessment of the first decade (Canadian Plains Studies

by WANDA WIEGERS, Fiona Douglas

In 1995, Saskatchewan became the first province in Canada to enact legislation specifically designed to provide civil redress for domestic violence. Civil Domestic Violence Legislation in Saskatchewan evaluates the significance and ef­ficacy of The Victims of Domestic Violence Act in relation to its known or likely objectives over the first decade or so of its operation. This evaluation provides not only a compre­hensive assessment of judicial interpretations of the Act up to November 2006, but also examines the practical application and significance of the legislation in the lives of those affected by it. Since discrepancies often exist between what the law provides on its face and how it is applied, both must be examined to identify the impact of legal reforms.

The thoughtful evaluation presented in Civil Domestic Violence Legislation in Saskatchewan will be useful and informative both for those working in the judicial system — as policy makers, judges, justices of the peace, lawyers, police officers, and administrators — and for those working in community services — social workers, mobile crisis workers, and shelter workers.

105 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2007