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Abstract
The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service (DOVVSU) prosecute perpetrators of domestic violence. DOVVSU also offers ADR services for domestic violence cases. Focusing on the ADR services at DOVVSU, this paper uses narratives from service users; the survivors and perpetrators of violence who patronized DOVVSU services; to determine their satisfaction with the ADR services. Data for the study was also from personal interviews with a random selection of police service providers. The results revealed, among others, that while service users were generally satisfied with the services provided, some viewed the ADR process as an imposition.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 See the Domestic Violence Act 2007 (Act 732), s 1.
2 See Renee A S Morhe, Emmanuel S K Morhe & Kwabena A Danso, ‘Legal and Social Issues of Reproductive Health in Africa’ in Danso, Kwawukume, Tagbor, & Asante (eds) Comprehensive Reproductive Health and Family Planning in the Tropics (University Press KNUST, 2014) 461.
3 (n1).
4 Id at 1 (b) (i)–(iv).
5 Id at 1 (c) & (d).
6 See Lauren M Hayter and Victor Voronov, 'Domestic Violence and the State' (2007) 8 Georgetown Journal of Gender & Law 273, 287.
7 Adeola Olagunju and Christine Reynolds, 'Domestic Violence' (2012) 13 Georgetown Journal of Gender & Law 203, 236.
8 Rosemary O Ofei-Aboagye, 'Domestic Violence in Ghana: An Initial Step' (1994) 4 Columbia Journal of Gender & Law 1, 7.
9 Nancy Cantalupo, Lisa V Martin, Kay Pak and Sue Shin, 'Domestic Violence in Ghana: The Open Secret' (2006) 7 Georgetown Journal of Gender & Law 531, 554–558.
10 Sam Okudzeto, ‘Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)’ in SY Bimpong-Buta (ed) Ghana Bar Association Lectures in Continuing Legal Education 1993–94 (Buck Press, 1997) 247, 254.
11 Id.
12 Domestic Violence Act 2007, s 24 (1) (a) & (b).
13 Kirsten Beyer, Anne B Wallis and Kevin L Hamberger, ‘Neighbourhood Environment and Intimate Partner Violence’ (2015) 16 (1) Trauma, Violence & Abuse 16, 42.
14 See the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, 1993 G. A. Res. 48/104.
15 Rhonda Copelon, 'Recognizing the Egregious in the Everyday: Domestic Violence as Torture' (1994) 25 Columbia Human Rights Law Review 291, 295.
16 Id.
17 Id at 296.
18 See William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England 1 (Oxford, 1765) 433 ˂https://www.gutenberg.org/files/30802/30802-h/30802-h.htm> accessed 20 June 2020.
19 Henry A Kelly, ‘Rule of Thumb and the Folklaw of the Husband's Stick’ (1994) 44 Journal of Legal Education 341, 343.
20 61 N.C. 453 (1868). See also at ˂https://la.utexas.edu/users/jmciver/357L/61NC453.html> accessed 20 June 2020.
21 Id.
22 Section 42 of the Ghanaian Criminal Code 1960, Act 29.
23 See Nancy Cantalupo et al (n 9) 597, 539.
24 Akosua A Ampofo, ‘Collective Activism: The Domestic Violence Bill becoming Law in Ghana’ (2008) 7 African and Asian Studies 395, 407.
25 Margaret I Amoakohene, ‘Violence against Women in Ghana: A Look at Women’s Perceptions and Review of Policy and Social Responses’ (2004) 59 (11) Science Direct, Social Science and Medicine ˂http://www.sciencedirect.com/science > accessed 11 July 2020.
26 Id.
27 Id.
28 Deborah M. Capaldi, Naomi B. Knoble, Joann Wu Shortt, and Hyoun K. Kim, ‘A Systematic Review of Risk Factors for Intimate Partner Violence’ (2020) 3 (2) Partner Abuse, 231–280 ˂https://doi.org/10.1891/1946-6560.3.2.231> accessed 30 June 2020.
29 See generally, the Intestate Succession Law 1985 (PNDCL 111).
30 See Act 732, s. 4. See also the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) s. 42 (g). According to these two statutes, the use of violence in the domestic setting is not justified even on the basis of consent.
31 See Velásquez Rodríguez v Honduras (1996) Inter-American Court of Human Rights ˂ https://www.refworld.org/cases,IACRTHR,3ae6b66d18.html> accessed 9 July 2020.
32 See the UN General Assembly, Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) A/RES/48/104, at 1 & 2 and the UN General Assembly, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (1979) A/RES/34/180 (CEDAW Convention).
33 Fatma Yildrim v Austria, Communication 5/2005, CEDAW/C/39/D/5 (2005).
34 Angela Gonzalez Carreno v Spain, Communication No 47/2012, CEDAW/C/58/D/47/2012 (2014).
35 Stu Woolman and Courtenay Sprague, ‘Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide: The absence of Public Policy on Intimate Partner Violence abrogates the rights to Health Care and bodily integrity under the South Africa Constitution’ (2015) 22 (1) Cardozo Journal of Law & Gender 29, 61.
36 See Akosua A Ampofo, ‘Collective Activism: The Domestic Violence Bill becoming Law in Ghana’ (n 24) at 408.
37 See art. 1 of the CEDAW Convention. See also the UN Declaration (n 32).
38 See Act 732 (n1).
39 See the Memorandum to the Ghana Domestic Violence Bill (2003).
40 Id.
41 Bruce J Winick, 'Applying the Law Therapeutically in Domestic Violence Cases' (2000) 69 UMKC Law Review 33, 62.
42 See Stephen A Brobbey, The Law of Chieftaincy in Ghana (Advanced Legal Publications, 2008) 367.
43 See Bakhita M Koblavie and Christopher Y Nyinevi (2019) ‘A Review of the Legislative Reform of Customary Arbitration in Ghana’ (2019) 45(4) Commonwealth Law Bulletin 587, 589.
44 See Raymond A A Atuguba, Kissi Agyebeng and Enyonam Dedey ‘Access to Justice in Ghana: The real Issues’ (2006) 1–34, 20 ˂ https://ladagroupgh.com/docs/5854320d48f0ed75317469e0d04679eeAccess%20to%20Justice%20In%20Ghana%20-%20The%20Real%20Issues.pdf > accessed 12 November 2019.
45 S K Kuada, ‘Alternative Processes for Preventing and Resolving Disputes’ in SY Bimpong-Buta (ed) Ghana Bar Association Lectures in Continuing Legal Education 1993–94 (Buck Press, 1997) 283–304, 284.
46 Thomas J Stipanowich, 'ADR and the Vanishing Trial: The Growth and Impact of Alternative Dispute Resolution' (2004) 1 Journal of Empirical Legal Studies 843, 854.
47 Eric D Green, ‘A Comprehensive Approach to the Theory and Practice of Dispute Resolution’ (1984) 34 (2) Journal of Legal Education 245–258, 258.
48 Id.
49 Erin L Han, 'Mandatory Arrest and No-Drop Policies: Victim Empowerment in Domestic Violence Cases’ (2003) 23(1) Boston College Third World Law Journal 159, 161.
50 Amobi L Ilika ‘Women's Perception of Partner Violence in a Rural Igbo Community’ (2005) 9(3) African Journal of Reproductive Health 77, 78.
51 Loomis, Kerry ‘Domestic Violence and Mediation: A Tragic Combination for Victims in California Family Court’ (1999) 35 (2) California Western Law Review 355.
52 Id.
53 See Sara Cobb, ‘The Domestication of Violence in Mediation’ (1997) 31 (3) Law & Society Review 397.
54 Helen Cleak, Marot Schofield and Andrew Bickerdike, ‘Efficacy of Family Mediation and the Role of Family Violence: Study Protocol, (2014) 14 (57) BMC Public Health ˂http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/57> accessed 14 June 2020.
55 Thomas Luchs, 'Is Your Client a Good Candidate for Mediation: Screen Early, Screen Often, and Screen for Domestic Violence' (2016) 28 (2) Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers 455, 467.
56 Patrizia Romito and Janet Eastwood, ‘Tactics for Hiding Male Violence’ in P Romito (ed), A Deafening Silence: Hidden Violence against Women and Children (Bristol University Press, 2008) 43, 74 ˂. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qgvgr> accessed July 15, 2020.
57 Act 732, s. 24 (3).
58 Alison Gerencser, ‘Family Mediation: Screening for Domestic Abuse’ (1995) 23 Florida State University Law Review 43, 68–69.
59 Aimee Davis, ‘Mediating Cases Involving Domestic Violence’ (2006) 8 (253) Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution 253.
60 Charlotte Germane, Margaret Johnson and Nancy Lemon, 'Mandatory Custody Mediation and Joint Custody Orders in California: The Danger for Victims of Domestic Violence' (1985) 1 Berkeley Women's Law Journal 175, 188.
61 Suloshini Moodley, ‘Mediation - the increasing necessity of incorporating cultural values and systems of Empowerment’ (1994) 27 (1) The Comparative and International Law Journal of Southern Africa 44, 47 where the author warns of danger of mediators having ‘little tolerance for reticent wives and no patience with hostile husbands’.
62 Kerry Loomis, ‘Domestic Violence and Mediation: A Tragic Combination for Victims in California Family Court’ (1999) 35 (2) Cal WL Rev 355.
63 Mary Anne Noone, ‘ADR, Public Interest Law and Access to Justice: The need for Vigilance’ (2011) 37 Monash University Law Review 57.
64 Anne-Marie de Brouwer and Etienne Ruvebana, 'The Legacy of the Gacaca Courts in Rwanda: Survivors' Views' (2013) 13 International Criminal Law Review 937, 969.
65 Art Hinshaw, ‘Mediators as Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse: Preserving Mediation's Core Value’ (2007) 34 (2) Florida State University Law Review 271–312.
66 Echo A. Rivera, Cris M. Sullivan and April M. Zeoli, ‘Secondary Victimization of Abused Mothers by Family Court Mediators’ (2012) 7 (3) Feminist Criminology 234–252.
67 See Terra Pingley, ‘The Impact of Witnessing Domestic Violence on Children: A Systematic Review’ (2017) St. Catherine University repository ˂https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/776 > accessed 01 December 2019. See also Kimberley Anderson and Elisa van Ee, ‘Mothers and Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: A Review of Treatment Interventions’ (2018) 15 (9) International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 1955 ˂https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163939/> accessed 01 March 2020.
68 See Lauren M Hayter and Victor Voronov (n 6).
69 See Owen O'Sullivan, ‘Domestic Violence – the Other Half of the Picture’ (2010) 61 (5) The Furrow 293.
70 See Anne-Marie de Brouwer and Etienne Ruvebana (n 64).
71 See Art Hinshaw (n 65).
72 See Echo A. Rivera, Cris M. Sullivan, and April M. Zeoli (n 66).
73 Domestic Violence Act 2007, ss 29 to 40.
74 See Thomas J Stipanowich (n 46).
75 See S K Kuada (n 45).
76 See Atuguba et al (n 44).
77 See Anne-Marie de Brouwer and Etienne Ruvebana (n 64).
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Renee Aku Sitsofe Morhe
Dr. Renee Aku Sitsofe Morhe is a Senior Lecturer and head of Private Law Department at the Faculty of Law, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Kumasi, Ghana. Before joining the Faculty of Law, Dr. Morhe worked as a senior legal officer with the Ghana Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice. She is a Chevening and Fulbright Scholar.