The Impact of Domestic Violence Legal Regulation and Enforcement Among Nigerian Immigrants in Ireland
The purpose of this study was to appraise the efficacy of law and its enforcement in changing peoples’ perceptions and attitudes toward domestic violence and raising awareness about it. The study explored the role of legal regulation and enforcement in tackling domestic violence by investigating how its regulation and enforcement in Ireland impacted on the Nigerian immigrants’ perceptions and attitudes toward it. It queries if both jurisdictions are protecting human rights adequately within their domains. The universal theory of human rights and the feminist legal theory were used to guide the claim of this thesis that cultural, traditional and religious beliefs and practices in Nigeria impede the understanding of domestic violence, encourage the behaviour and hinder the enacting of emancipatory human rights laws in the country. The study employed a qualitative method of enquiry within a socio-legal approach to obtain empirical data through a semi-structured interview of ten (10) participants. The participants were selected through a heterogeneous or maximum variation sampling technique. The data were analysed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method. The study found that legal regulation and enforcement are efficacious in changing perceptions and attitudes toward domestic violence. All the participants (100%) affirmed change of their perceptions and attitudes toward domestic violence since taking up residence in Ireland. The study equally revealed that domestic violence awareness campaign in Ireland as well as law and its effective enforcement contributed in increasing the participants’ knowledge and understanding of domestic violence. The participants affirmed that the legal process in Ireland, especially regarding access to justice and enforcement of laws is more protective of peoples’ human rights than the process in Nigeria. The findings also revealed that Nigerian immigrants in Ireland are supportive of reporting incidences of domestic violence to the authorities. Thus, the findings imply that law is effectual in transforming peoples’ perceptions and attitudes toward domestic violence. Consequently, the study recommends adopting a legal approach to tackling domestic violence. In addition, the study calls on the Nigerian Government (both State and Federal) to ensure the Federal law against domestic violence (VAPP Act 2015) has a nationwide applicability.
National University of Ireland - Maynooth
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