Unveiling Injustice: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Domestic Violence Rulings and Judicial Language in Court

This thesis focuses on seven egregious court cases where judges treated domestic violence victims horribly and lacked sympathy for what they went through. I looked at cases where judges treated victims with a lack of respect and human decency to show that although there are good judges out there, there are also terrible ones who have a negative impact on victims. Through the cases I analyzed there are examples of victim blaming, ignorance, and lack of empathy. These cases show the sad reality some domestic violence victims face when they decide to make the courageous decision to come forward and trust the state with their livelihood. By the end of this thesis, readers should be able to recognize common themes that emerged from the judicial language used in court and understand how damaging judges can be when they treat victims this way. Readers should also see how detrimental it can be to other victims to have these cases be public and see how victims before them have been treated. It can ignite fear in them to come forward and deter them from seeking justice in their own lives.