New Standards in the Application of the Law on Protection Against Violence in the Family in the Republic of Srpska

Abstract

Criminal protection against domestic violence in the Republika Srpska was established by the enactment of the Criminal Code in 2000, when domestic violence was, for the first time, legally defined as socially unacceptable behavior with a criminal sanction. A few years later, in 2005 to be precise, the first Law on Protection from Domestic Violence was adopted, the provisions of which took the basic form of the criminal offense of domestic or family violence from the Criminal Code and defined it as a misdemeanor. In order to prosecute perpetrators of violence faster and more efficiently, as well as faster and better protection of victims of domestic violence, a new Law on Protection from Domestic Violence was passed in 2012, which is also the most important legal regulation in this area in Republika Srpska. The said law underwent several amendments, and as such was in force until May 1 of the current year, when the Law on Amendments to the Law on Protection from Domestic Violence, which was adopted by the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska on The sixth regular session held in September 2019, which prescribes new legal solutions, which will be discussed in the continuation of the paper.