Violent men can stay home

GARDAÍ will no longer arrest violent spouses for breaking current interim barring orders meant to prevent further family violence, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling Wednesday.

The as-yet unpublished court ruling has sparked a war of words between men’s support groups and agencies for battered women.

It has also led to calls for the Government to immediately introduce legislative amendments to allow at-risk spouses to take out emergency barring orders without having to inform potentially violent partners. The Court ruled such interim barring orders were unconstitutional. It said the person against whom the order is made is deprived of the right to be heard. The Court also said the lack of time limits on barring orders was inexplicable.