Legal change and legal inertia: understanding and contextualising Scottish cases in which women kill their abusers

Significant legal and policy change related to domestic abuse has been evident in Scotland over the last 40 years. Despite this, no occurred relation cases which women kill their abusers. This article maps significant changes have abuse, linking these development of Scottish women’s movement feminist activism. landscape is contrasted with inertia become apparent A detailed examination presented includes in-depth qualitative analysis 62 this type. Although problems inherent effecting for who abusers are recognised, proposes several practical could be implemented bridge knowledge gap emerged Scotland. call action comes at time when Law Commission considering homicide defences murder, making it a crucial consider aspect abuse.