Legislation – Domestic Abuse Act 2021

New Search

Introduction

PART 1
Definition of “domestic abuse”

1 Definition of “domestic abuse”

2 Definition of “personally connected”

3 Children as victims of domestic abuse

PART 2
The Domestic Abuse Commissioner

4 Appointment of Commissioner

5 Funding

6 Staff etc

7 General functions of Commissioner

8 Reports

9 Advice and assistance

10 Incidental powers

11 Framework document

12 Advisory Board

13 Strategic plans

14 Annual reports

15 Duty to co-operate with Commissioner

16 Duty to respond to Commissioner’s recommendations

17 Duty to send conclusions of domestic homicide review to Commissioner

18 Disclosure of information

19 Restriction on exercise of functions in individual cases

20 Duty to report on domestic abuse services in England

21 Amendments relating to Commissioner

PART 3
Powers for dealing with domestic abuse

22 Power to give a domestic abuse protection notice

23 Provision that may be made by notices

24 Matters to be considered before giving a notice

25 Further requirements in relation to notices

26 Breach of notice

27 Meaning of “domestic abuse protection order”

28 Domestic abuse protection orders on application

29 Applications where domestic abuse protection notice has been given

30 Remand under section 29(8) of person arrested for breach of notice

31 Domestic abuse protection orders otherwise than on application

32 Conditions for making an order

33 Matters to be considered before making an order

34 Making of orders without notice

35 Provision that may be made by orders

36 Further provision about requirements that may be imposed by orders

37 Further provision about electronic monitoring requirements

38 Duration and geographical application of orders

39 Breach of order

40 Arrest for breach of order

41 Notification requirements

42 Further provision about notification under section 41

43 Offences relating to notification

44 Variation and discharge of orders

45 Variation and discharge: supplementary

46 Appeals

47 Further provision about appeals

48 Nature of certain proceedings under this Part

49 Special measures for witnesses

50 Guidance

51 Data from electronic monitoring: code of practice

52 Powers to make other orders in proceedings under this Part

53 Proceedings not to be subject to conditional fee agreements

54 Consequential amendments of the Sentencing Code

55 Repeal of provisions about domestic violence protection notices and orders

56 Interpretation of Part 3

PART 4
Local authority support

57 Support provided by local authorities to victims of domestic abuse

58 Domestic abuse local partnership boards

59 Annual reports

60 Guidance

61 Interpretation of Part 4

PART 5
Protection for victims, witnesses, etc in legal proceedings

62 Special measures in criminal proceedings for offences involving domestic abuse

63 Special measures in family proceedings: victims of domestic abuse

64 Special measures in civil proceedings: victims of domestic abuse etc

65 Prohibition of cross-examination in person in family proceedings

66 Prohibition of cross-examination in person in civil proceedings

67 Orders under section 91(14) of the Children Act 1989

PART 6
Offences involving abusive or violent behaviour

68 Controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship

69 Threats to disclose private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress

70 Strangulation or suffocation

71 Consent to serious harm for sexual gratification not a defence

72 Offences against the person committed outside the UK: England and Wales

73 Offences against the person committed outside the UK: Northern Ireland

74 Amendments relating to offences committed outside the UK

PART 7
Miscellaneous and general

75 Strategy for prosecution and management of offenders

76 Polygraph conditions for offenders released on licence

77 Guidance about the disclosure of information by police forces

78 Homelessness: victims of domestic abuse

79 Grant of secure tenancies in cases of domestic abuse

80 Prohibition on charging for the provision of medical evidence of domestic abuse

81 Review of processing of victims’ personal data for immigration purposes

82 Code of practice

83 Report on the use of contact centres in England

84 Power of Secretary of State to issue guidance about domestic abuse, etc

85 Power to make consequential amendments

86 Power to make transitional or saving provision

87 Regulations

88 Financial provision

89 Extent

90 Commencement

91 Short title

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1 Further provision about remand under section 40

SCHEDULE 2 Strangulation or suffocation: consequential amendments

SCHEDULE 3 Amendments relating to offences committed outside the UK

Changes to legislation:

Domestic Abuse Act 2021, SCHEDULE 1 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 06 November 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Changes and effects yet to be applied by the editorial team are only applicable when viewing the latest version or prospective version of legislation. They are therefore not accessible when viewing legislation as at a specific point in time. To view the ‘Changes to Legislation’ information for this provision return to the latest version view using the options provided in the ‘What Version’ box above.

SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1Further provision about remand under section 40

Section 40

Introductory

1

This Schedule applies where a court has power to remand a person (“P”) under section 40.

Remand in custody or on bail

2

(1)

The court may remand P in custody or on bail.

(2)

If remanded in custody, P is to be committed to custody to be brought before the court—

(a)

at the end of the period of remand, or

(b)

at such earlier time as the court may require.

(3)

The court may remand P on bail—

(a)

by taking from P a recognizance (with or without sureties) conditioned as provided in paragraph 3, or

(b)

by fixing the amount of the recognizances with a view to their being taken subsequently in accordance with paragraph 7 and, in the meantime, committing P to custody as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2).

(4)

Where P is brought before the court after remand, the court may further remand P.

3

(1)

Where P is remanded on bail, the court may direct that P’s recognizance be conditioned for P’s appearance—

(a)

before the court at the end of the period of remand, or

(b)

at every time and place to which during the course of the proceedings the hearing may from time to time be adjourned.

(2)

Where a recognizance is conditioned for P’s appearance as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(b), the fixing of a time for P next to appear is to be treated as a remand.

(3)

Nothing in this paragraph affects the power of the court at any subsequent hearing to remand P afresh.

4

(1)

The court may not remand P for a period exceeding eight clear days unless—

(a)

the court adjourns proceedings for the purpose mentioned in paragraph 5(1), or

(b)

P is remanded on bail and both P and the person who applied for the warrant under section 40 consent.

This is subject to paragraph 6.

(2)

Where the court has power to remand P in custody, P may be committed to the custody of a constable if the remand is for a period not exceeding three clear days.

Remand for medical examination and report

5

(1)

If the court has reason to suspect that a medical report will be required, the power to remand a person under section 40 may be exercised for the purpose of enabling a medical examination to take place and a report to be made.

(2)

If the person is remanded in custody for that purpose, the adjournment may not be for more than 3 weeks at a time.

(3)

If the person is remanded on bail for that purpose, the adjournment may not be for more than 4 weeks at a time.

(4)

Sub-paragraph (5) applies if there is reason to suspect that a person who has been arrested under a warrant issued on an application made under section 40 is suffering from mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983.

(5)

The court has the same power to make an order under section 35 of that Act (remand to hospital for report on accused’s mental condition) as the Crown Court has under that section in the case of an accused person (within the meaning of that section).

Further remand

6

(1)

If the court is satisfied that a person (“P”) who has been remanded is unable by reason of illness or accident to appear or be brought before the court at the end of the period of remand, the court may further remand P in P’s absence.

(2)

The power under sub-paragraph (1) may, in the case of a person who was remanded on bail, be exercised by enlarging the person’s recognizance and those of any sureties for the person to a later time.

(3)

Where a person (“P”) remanded on bail is bound to appear before the court at any time and the court has no power to remand P under sub-paragraph (1), the court may (in P’s absence) enlarge P’s recognizance and those of any sureties for P to a later time.

(4)

The enlargement of P’s recognizance is to be treated as a further remand.

(5)

Paragraph 4(1) (limit of remand) does not apply to the exercise of the powers conferred by this paragraph.

Postponement of taking of recognizance

7

Where under paragraph 2(3)(b) the court fixes the amount in which the principal and the sureties, if any, are to be bound, the recognizance may afterwards be taken by a person prescribed by rules of court, with the same consequences as if it had been entered into before the court.

Requirements imposed on remand on bail

8

The court may, when remanding a person on bail in accordance with this Schedule, require the person to comply, before release on bail or later, with any requirements that appear to the court to be necessary to secure that the person does not interfere with witnesses or otherwise obstruct the course of justice.