ABSTRACT
Access to justice scholars have documented the ways victims accessing civil court systems for orders of protection face challenges and barriers associated with gender, race, class, status, and language. This chapter discusses the importance of researching access to justice, particularly for those who are often multiply marginalized. It then offers a review of prior research on domestic violence victims’ experiences with civil court systems and barriers to access to justice in civil courts. Next, this chapter summarizes a collaborative and interdisciplinary research project addressing similar concerns. Preliminary findings chart a range of barriers encountered by victims. What becomes clear is that inconsistencies in treatment and remedies available, as well as a range of injustices, do occur. Notes on pursuing justice outcomes through public criminological commitments are offered as well as thoughts on public criminological methods and praxis. The chapter concludes with a reflection on overall impacts.
