Canadian police officers (N=13) and justice officials (N=8) were interviewed for their opinions on the efficacy of both Criminal Code peace bonds and Family Relations Act civil restraining orders. Both protective orders are rarely treated seriously by the police or the courts. The occupational culture of the police leads to exaggerated patriarchal and conservative notions of women, marriage and family: blame the victim; point the finger at other institutions; foster images of women as manipulative; and produce a fictitious narrative of battered women. The police, battered women and, increasingly, feminist researchers are more and more reluctant to look to the criminal justice system as a remedy for violence against women in the home because of its obvious limitations. Future research should focus on the helping professionals on whom women rely for protection. Tables, notes, references, appendix