Domestic Abuse Bill second reading scheduled for 28 April 2020
Members of Parliament will consider the Domestic Abuse Bill at second reading on Tuesday, 28 April 2020.
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 House of Commons Library has published an overview of the Domestic Abuse Bill in advance of its second reading. For that briefing paper, click here.
For the Bill, as introduced, click here. For an opinion piece in The Observer concerning the Bill, click here.
24/4/20