The article
summarizes the results of a Europe-wide comparative study on protection orders.
While all member states have enacted judicial orders to protect victims of
interpersonal violence against future threat and violence, the national law
vary a great deal. While some member states have relied on a criminal
protection, some on civil law protection and some have created orders that have
features of both. Especially emergency protection orders tend to fall between
criminal-civil law distinction, which however is the basis of the European
system of recognition of protection orders of other member states. The article
identifies the problems and tensions deriving from this situation.