Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Bill
The policy objectives of the Bill are to improve “the protections of available for people who are at risk of domestic abuse, particularly where they are living with the perpetrator of the abuse.”
This is to be achieved by providing new powers to:
• the courts to make a Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO)
• the police to make a Domestic Abuse Protection Notice (DAPN).
The DAPNs and DAPOs are both intended to present short term measures to provide protection to a person at risk of abuse. It gives that person space to take steps to address longer term issues of safety and housing situation without continuing to be abused by their partner/ex-partner.
The powers to be created are intended to fill a “gap” in legislation for those who may be experiencing abuse, to reduce the risk that a person has to make themselves homeless to find protection and to provide them with a safe solution to seek out other forms or means of longer term safety.
Read our response to the call for evidence
Read our Stage 1 briefing paper