England’s first Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, has been calling for drastic change in governmental policy surrounding the protection and management of domestic abuse victims in the UK. A vote took place within the House of Lords in mid-October to decide on whether key changes were to be made to Priti Patel’s Policing Bill which…
From the 8th of January, changes have come into effect which have improved the availability of legal aid to victims of domestic violence. The time limit of 5 years in which to submit abuse evidence has been scrapped. This limit previously only allowed victims of domestic violence to apply for legal aid if they could…
Many of us, when first entering into a relationship, could never imagine a dark cloud of abuse descending on it. However, statistics on domestic show just how widespread the situation is. The truth is that domestic abuse is at crisis level, with 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men experiencing some form of…
The images we see of domestic violence often show the violence itself – and end there. While this is shocking, it also does not reveal the full experience that a victim of domestic violence goes through. For some, that experience will involve leaving the violent partner. But the story doesn’t conclude there: leaving brings many of…
Education, not penalties, to tackle domestic violence? Domestic violence is best tackled through educative programmes rather than through the criminal justice system, according to research carried out by Project Mirabal run by Durham and London Metropolitan Universities. The research revealed that men who attend domestic violence perpetrator programmes (DVPP) change their behaviour which can lead to…
The government is considering introducing a new law on domestic violence which would make nonviolent abuse illegal. The government launched a consultation last month in response to a damning report by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) published in March. The report critisised the police response to domestic violence, saying that in many areas help and…
Court fees for non-molestation and occupation orders are to be scrapped under new plans to assist victims of domestic violence. The changes have been made under the Family Proceedings Fees (Amendment) Order 2014/811, which states that the £75 fee for domestic violence injunctions will be abolished on 22nd April this year. More than 20,000 applications…
A scheme has been introduced that allows women to find out if their partner has a history of domestic violence. The new scheme will allow police to disclose information to women who request to know if their partner has committed acts of violence in the past. It is hoped that access to this information will…