Transforming Justice: Police Response and Legal System Reform (Session 4)

Transforming Justice: Police Response and Legal System Reform (Session 4)

This session examines critical questions about law enforcement responses to violence against women and the role of trauma in legal proceedings. Leighann Burns presents a crucial analysis asking: before we abandon criminalizing violence against women, have we properly assessed current effectiveness? Her presentation examines the evidence for and against criminal justice involvement in domestic violence cases, exploring whether the problem lies in criminalization itself or in how laws are implemented and enforced. This nuanced discussion is essential for informed policy debates about decriminalization movements. Bronwyn Blake and Amanda Elkanick Oder collaborate to explore understanding the role of trauma in the legal system, examining how trauma impacts survivors’ ability to navigate court proceedings, maintain consistent narratives, and advocate for themselves. They discuss trauma-informed approaches that courts and legal professionals can implement to improve justice outcomes for survivors while maintaining due process. Together, these presentations challenge attendees to think critically about legal system reform, recognizing both the harms caused by current approaches and the risks of abandoning legal protections before viable alternatives exist.