In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, LawPod host Justine Van Essen speaks with Sonya McMullan, who has worked with Women’s Aid for almost 30 years, combining frontline expertise with sustained policy advocacy to influence major legislative change in Northern Ireland.

The episode explores how lived experience, frontline services, and strategic lobbying intersect to shape laws that protect victims and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. Sonya charts the evolution of Women’s Aid’s work: from the development of the first 24/7 domestic abuse helpline in the mid‑1990s, to the introduction of landmark legislation such as the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act (NI), the Justice (Sexual Offences and Trafficking) Act, and the non-fatal strangulation offence.

She also sheds light on persistent challenges: under-resourcing, gaps in police training, complex legislative delays, barriers to legal aid, and the urgent need for better protection orders. But the conversation also showcases promising developments including the Domestic Abuse Court pilot, new prevention programmes in schools, and initiatives supporting medical, nursing, social work, and law students to recognise and respond to domestic abuse.

https://www.womensaidni.org/