Law reform leads to increased protection for victims of domestic abuse

Impact: Impact - for External PortalPolicy and legislation, Quality of life and safety

Narrative

Jane Scoular was part of a small team commissioned by the Scottish Executive to evaluate domestic abuse law in Scotland. The team made a number of recommendations, based on their research, that have had considerable influence on policy making, practice and victims. Their specific recommendations that breach of a domestic abuse interdict should be a criminal offence and that the requirement for victims to show a continuing course of abusive conduct before a legal order can be granted be removed, inspired and directly informed a new Act of Parliament - the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2011. These reforms have significantly improved access to justice for victims of domestic abuse and strengthened the protection available to them in our legal system. The Act’s new measures and subsequent training have streamlined and strengthened criminal justice responses to the issue.
Impact statusOpen
Category of impactPolicy and legislation, Quality of life and safety