FAMILY LAWS
Pakistani Laws
Emory University’s Law and Religion program maintains an informational website on global Islamic family law www.law.emory.edu/ifl.For overview of Islamic family law in Pakistan www.law.emory.edu/ifl/legal/pakistan.htm
U.S. Laws
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
VAWA was passed as a federal law in 1994, and reauthorized in 2000 and 2005. It is currently up for reauthorization in 2010. VAWA legislation provides for the investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, increased pre-trial detention of the accused, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave unprosecuted. Abused women and children can self-petition on their own behalf, and include undocumented children, to become legal permanent residents. VAWA includes provisions for a U-visa, eligible to victims of domestic violence allowing some to attain legal permanent residency pending law enforcement or a judge certifying that the victim can be helpful in investigating or prosecuting the crime. www.ovw.usdoj.govPublic Laws thomas.loc.gov/bss/d109/d109laws.html
Private Laws thomas.loc.gov/bss/d109/d109prlaws.html
American Bar Association: Family Law in the 50 States www.abanet.org/family/familylaw/tables.html. The American Bar Association's summary of family law in the fifty states with links to statutes of individual states.
Canadian Laws
The Protection against Family Violence Act
This law protects all family members from acts of violence defined as injuring or threatening to injure a family member, damaging or threatening to damage property in order to intimidate or harm a family member, not allowing a family member to leave the home, abusing someone sexually, or stalking someone.Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
This Act outlines the core principles and concepts governing Canada's immigration and refugee protection programs. Components of this Act provide that women may belong to a “gender-defined social group” where they “fear persecution as the consequence of failing to conform to, or for transgressing, certain gender-discriminating religious or customary laws and practices in their country of origin.”