The government’s landmark Domestic Abuse Bill was introduced in Parliament on 16 July 2019, signalling a major step forward in transforming the response to this crime.
The Bill is the most comprehensive package ever presented to Parliament to tackle domestic abuse, both supporting victims and bringing perpetrators to justice.
Measures in the Bill include:
- introducing the first ever statutory government definition of domestic abuse, which will include economic abuse
- establishing a Domestic Abuse Commissioner to champion victims and survivors
- introducing new Domestic Abuse Protection Notices and Domestic Abuse Protection Orders to further protect victims and place restrictions on the actions of offenders
- prohibiting the cross-examination of victims by their abusers in the family courts
- providing automatic eligibility for special measures to support more victims to give evidence in the criminal courts
The Bill is at the early stages, so it is not yet law but watch this space.
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