美國家庭暴力法庭的沿革與發展──以紐約州為例

The Evolution and Development of Domestic Violence Courts in the United States - A Case Study of New York State

臺灣於1998年6月24日公布亞洲地區第一部家暴防治法，家暴不分種族、年齡、性取向、宗教等都可能發生。現今社會上仍存在家暴的事件，隨著時代變遷，受暴身分、暴力類型、施暴者及行為原因都有所變化。家暴案件處理過程，充滿諸多變數，顯見家暴案件處理過程未臻完善，且家暴案件的不斷增長，對於家暴處理確有檢討醒思的必要。
本研究針對美國紐約州家庭暴力法庭的運作進行初探，從美國家暴現況瞭解，家暴嚴重程度與臺灣雷同，對於家暴事件，美國採取問題解決導向的法庭制度，且以被害者中心來發展整體家庭暴力法庭的運作模式與策略，以被害者安全、施暴者問責、嚇阻與賦歸、提升效率為目的。家庭暴力法庭各州運作模式不同，本研究以紐約州為主，該州家庭暴力法庭以「一個家庭，一個法官」為主，對於違反刑法以及非刑法的家暴有不同的處置，保護令的製發程序說明，家暴案件的資源相當全面，包括被害者支持性服務，施暴者的監督與輔導處遇計畫，都相當完整。
我國在家暴防治法修法後，加上友善法庭的推行，對於家暴防治往前邁進一大步，但不斷增加的家暴案件更需要有效率的專責單位來負責，美國家庭暴力法庭的設置不失為我國家暴防治的最後一塊拼圖。

On June 24, 1998, Taiwan enacted the first Domestic Violence Prevention Act in Asia, acknowledging that domestic violence can occur across all demographics regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, or religion. Despite legal advancements, domestic violence remains a prevalent issue in society, with changing dynamics in the identities of victims, types of violence, perpetrators, and underlying causes. The handling of domestic violence cases is fraught with numerous variables, indicating that the current processes are still far from perfect. The continuous increase in domestic violence cases necessitates a critical review and reflection on the methods of addressing this issue.
This study conducts a preliminary exploration of the operations of domestic violence courts in New York State, examining the current state of domestic violence in the United States, where the severity of the issue is familiar to Taiwan. The U.S. employs a problem-solving court model to address domestic violence, developing court operations and strategies centered on victim safety, perpetrator accountability, deterrence and rehabilitation, and efficiency enhancement. While operational models of domestic violence courts vary across states, this study focuses on New York State, where the “One Family, One Judge” principle is predominant. The state has distinct approaches for handling domestic violence cases involving criminal and noncriminal violations, and the process for issuing protection orders is well-defined. The resources available for domestic violence cases are comprehensive, including robust victim support services and supervision and counseling programs for perpetrators.
Following the revision of Taiwan’s Domestic Violence Prevention Act and the implementation of friendly court initiatives, significant progress has been made in the prevention of domestic violence. However, the increasing number of domestic violence cases demands the establishment of more efficient specialized units. The implementation of domestic violence courts, as seen in the United States, may well represent the final piece of the puzzle in Taiwan’s domestic violence prevention efforts.