مێری هەموارکردنەوەی یاسای توندوتیژی خێزانی تەواوکرد دوای چەندین مانگ لە گفتوگۆ و ئاڵوگۆڕی بیر و بۆچوونەکان و بە لەخۆگرتنی گشت هەموارکردنەوە پێویستەکان بە کۆدەنگی. ژمارەیەک لە شارەزا و یاساناس و ڕاوێژکاری یاسایی ونوێنەرانی کۆمەڵگای مەدەنی کوبوونەوێکیان ئەنجام دا لە بارەگای مێری بە مەبەستی تاوتوێکردنی هەموارکردنەوەی یاسای ئاماژە پێکراو. ئامەدەبوان بەرواردی دوو پڕۆژە یاسایان تاوتوێکرد کە دانەیەکیان لە لایەن ئینستیتیوتی مێریەوە ئامادەکرابوو و ئەوەی دیش لە لایەن وەزارەتی ناوخۆ ئامادەکراوە. بەرەهەمی ئەو کۆبوونەوەیە ڕێککەوتن لەسەر چەند خاڵێکی گرنگ بوو. ئامادەبوان کۆک بوون لەسەر ئەوەی کە ڕۆشنووسەکە دەبێت ئاماژە بە کردنەوەی چەند سەنتەرێکی ڕاوێژکاری بکات کە شێوەکی ڕاستەوخۆ ئەرکی سەرپەرشتیکردنیان لە لایەن بەڕێوەبەرایەتی گشتی بەرەنگاربوونەوەی توند و تیژی دژی ئافرەتان دەبێت. هەروەها دابینکردنی پۆلیسی ئافرەت لە و سەنتەرانە و درێژکردنەوەی کاتی فەرمانی پاراستنی قوربانی و زیادکردنی سزا لە لایەن دادگاوە ئەگەر فەرمانی پاراستن پێشێل بکرێت، چەند خالێکی دیکە بوون کفتوگۆکران بۆ ئەوەی بخرێنە نێو ڕەشنووسەکە.
On January 28th, MERI organized the final roundtable discussion to amend Act No. 8, the law on Combating Domestic Violence in the Kurdistan Region. The purpose of the meeting was to reach a consensus on a final comprehensive draft by merging amendments to the current law with the MERI Draft.
In the meeting, legal advisors, experts, lawmakers, and representatives of civil society organizations compared and contrasted the revised draft law, which was put forward by MERI following several months of debate, as well as the Ministry of Interior’s draft, which was the product of a conference that took place in Duhok. The draft is known as the ‘Duhok Draft’ and achieved a leading milestone revising the law and making it pertinent to current social reality in the Kurdistan Region.
The participants agreed that the draft legislation should include the establishment of family counselling centres linked to the General Directorate of Combating Violence Against Women, where family counsellors could provide advice and support to victims of domestic violence. For this purpose, the amendment provides for family counseling prior to filing a legal complaint, citing “once a lawsuit has been filed, family counselling centers cannot interfere in the legal process.”
The attendees also debated that it is essential for the draft amendment to assign female police officers in police centres for cases of female victims of domestic violence.
Furthermore, the law will empower judges to prolong the period of the Protection Order for the victims of domestic violence as well as setting a timeframe to obligate the relevant authorities to protect the victim. In addition, it was agreed to increase the detention period and financial penalties should the offender approach the victim during the protection period. Finally, the participants to the meeting agreed to broaden the scope of the definition of domestic violence further by including not only acts, but also omissions as a violation of the Law. Moreover, now according to this draft amendment until the dispute between the victim and the defendant has been resolved, neither party can sell shared properties.
What is next: MERI will prepare a final draft accommodating the necessary amendments made by consensus during the deliberations and will send it to participants for final review after which it will be passed to the Kurdistan Parliament for consultation and endorsement by the relevant parliamentary committees.
MERI has now finalised the draft amendment of Domestic Violence by accommodating the necessary amendments made by consensus during several months of deliberations