The Law against Domestic Violence of the PRC – An Introduction

Abstract

In December 2015, the People’s Republic of China passed a new law to combat and curb domestic violence. An additional aim of the law is to promote social stability. As part of the legislation, domestic violence is for the first time defined as psychological and physical violence. Important preventive measures such as warning letters from the police and the mandatory reporting of domestic violence are additional elements of the law. The introduction of protective court orders is intended to ensure a timely shield against domestic violence and to prevent a further escalation of violence. The various aims of the law are however difficult to reconcile; in addition, the definition of domestic violence and its application remains unclear in several aspects.