The judge wants more protection for women and children

He was speaking a conference in Glasgow called Breaking the Silence Together, organised by Strathclyde Police, and attended by more than 300 experts in the field.

Lord Carloway said: "I am not seeking to promote a return to the rural way of life, but one in which we at least attempt to introduce modern, readily understandable laws and systems to deal with a problem the seriousness of which is becoming increasingly recognised."

The care of children, which is currently supervised under the Children's Hearing and sheriff court referral system, would also be dealt with under the same process with representations from both families.

'Tip of iceberg'

Strathclyde chief constable Willie Rae said the force had committed itself to eradicating domestic violence and was concentrating its efforts on persuading women to report the attacks.

"Last year there were 16,393 recorded incidents of domestic abuse and that just may be the tip of the iceberg," he said.

Willie Rae said his force is tackling domestic abuse

"Strathclyde Police and other agencies have already made significant in-roads in the way we deal with domestic abuse, and victims now have more confidence to report incidents.

"We must, as partners, increase the occurrence of third-party reporting, and become better informed about specific barriers to reporting such as language, culture and religion, so that these can be addressed and overcome."

Mr Rae added: "By doing this, we will ensure that all victims of domestic abuse have access to support and the opportunity to escape from the cycle of victimisation which all too often, characterises their daily existence."

Representatives from support groups, local authorities and health boards are looking at the problems facing victims, examine current practices and discuss how the issue can be best dealt with in the future.