The Efficacy of Family Protection Orders in Papua New Guinea: The Applicants’ Perspective

Family protection orders were introduced into Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 2014. This paper reports on the findings from a study that examined the uptake, implementation, and efficacy of the orders, in a pluralistic and diverse country where domestic, family, and sexual violence is widespread. Adopting a safety-first and collaborative approach, the mixed methods study included more than 200 interviews with 118 order applicants in seven locations across PNG. The results were promising, with an increasing number of survivors applying for orders until the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted justice services. The paper argues that although based on an externally developed model of intervention from high-income countries, the protection order regime in PNG is worthy of further consolidation and expansion.

Keywords: domestic violence, protection orders, safety