Legislative Development of The Protection of The Survivors of Domestic Violence

Abstract

The research article aimed to investigate laws and principles related to the protection of survivors of domestic violence, analyze issues regarding the roles and responsibilities under the law for personnel at the Community Family Development Centers (CFD) in the protection of the survivors of domestic violence at the community level by comparing between Thai law, the federal law of Malaysia and Commonwealth of Australia law (Australian Capital Territory). It aimed to suggest guidelines for creating legal mechanisms for the protection of survivors of domestic violence at the community level by defining the authority and responsibilities of personnel at the Community Family Development Centers (CFD) in accordance with the intent of the Family Protection and Development B.E. 2562. This research was qualitative. The major findings revealed that even Thailand’s the Family Protection and Development B.E. 2562 had outlined the operational framework for Community Family Development Centers (CFD) in protecting individuals subjected to domestic violence at the community level; however, it did not systematically define the roles and responsibilities of the CFD personnel in performing their duties. When compared to the foreign legal mechanisms, both Malaysia and Australia had more clearly defined roles for personnel in controlling, preventing, and solving domestic violence at the community level. Therefore, it is recommended to amend and enhance the Thai law by defining the roles and responsibilities of CFD personnel in Sections 15/1 and 33 of the Family Protection and Development B.E. 2562.